Principals in the city have opined that the new norms laid down by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for the appointment of principals will only serve to increase the paucity of principals. They have contended that the Academic Performance Indicator (API) of the UGC is not very relevant for principals, as it is an administrative post while the API dwells mostly on research, publication, participation in international conferences and academic contributions, which very few eligible candidates can conform with. The principals said that this would only add to the shortage of principals that the University of Mumbai presently faces, as it will disqualify eligible candidates.
Dr T. Shiware, chairman of Association of Non-Government College (ANGC) principals said that there was an urgent need for the authorities to address the principal shortage problem.
“The scale of the salary of principals is lesser than that of professors, hence, eligible candidates do not want to take up the post of principals. The Maharashtra Federation of Principals (MFP) is meeting on Monday to make a presentation to higher and technical education minister Rajesh Tope,” said Dr Shiware.
He added that as the post of principals was administrative in nature, the API did not have much relevance.
In fact, out of the 650 colleges affiliated to the MU, only 250 colleges have regular principals while the rest are managing with part-time or contract principals.
Another academician, Dr P.J. Joglekar pointed out that the UGC norms were elaborate but not very effective. “I found a very fine distinction in every case, but major points are glossed over. This is just a clerical approach to an academic matter of great importance,” said Dr Joglekar.
The API allocates points to different criteria, based on which the eligibility of the candidate is ascertained. While the post of principal requires a score of 400 points, candidates are hardly able to cross the 100-point mark. The case is similar for teachers, who are able to score only up to a maximum of 75 marks. The UGC had introduced the API norms after the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations, but was accepted by the University just recently.