Delay in appointing Principals as per norms at MGU

Forty-nine private aided colleges under the Mahatma Gandhi University were yet to appoint Principals as per the regulations prescribed by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the statutes of the varsity.

Only 17 of the 66 private aided colleges have appointed Principals as per the norms. The requests for approving the appointment of Principals in five colleges were pending before the Syndicate. The applications submitted by four managements were under process, according to the official estimates.

The inordinate delay in appointing Principals as per the UGC norms and statues had resulted in an order issued by the varsity authorities on May 8 asking the erring managements to send the promotion orders of its teachers with an undertaking by the college manager that a Principal will be appointed as per the prescribed norms within three months.

The varsity had not considered the promotion orders in the absence of a Principal appointed as per the regulations. The order issued on May 8 stated that there was considerable delay on the part of the managements in appointing the senior most faculty member as Principal-in-charge till steps were taken to appoint a Principal as per the norms.

The issue of appointing Principals as per the norms has been pending for long. An order issued by the varsity on March 17 last year had asked the managers to appoint Principals and to desist from the practice of having drawing and disbursing officers of their choice in the absence of a principal.

The managements were also told to appoint the senior most faculty member as Principal-in-charge till the varsity had approved a new Principal. The process of appointing Principals as per the norms got delayed as the varsity authorities extended the tenure of the drawing and disbursal officer every three months.

The varsity had issued a circular on November 2 last year directing the managements to ensure compliance. However, some of the managements had appointed persons of their choice as Principal-in-charge after collecting the letter of decline from eligible senior most teachers.