JAMMU : With recent postings of meritorious candidates as Principals of prime Government Degree Colleges in Kashmir province, the Principals of Jammu province who were alloted peripheral GDCs despite figuring at top in select list of Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission have pinned high hope of fair treatment at the hands of new dispensation in J&K UT led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
It is worthwhile to mention here that there has been massive simmering discontent prevailing among a section of deserving GDCs principals against the higher ups of HED, who were deliberately denied postings at prominent colleges ignoring their merit.
Blaming the then Principal Secretary HED Alok Kumar allegedly for encouraging this unhealthy practice, a GDC Principal preferring anonymity said, “Merit took the back seat while the sycophancy ruled in postings of GDCs Principals”.
“In the last few years, the postings of GDCs Principals have become a mockery. Yesmen as well as those enjoying proximity in the corridors of power were favoured by way of repeated postings in Jammu city colleges while the deserving ones were either shunted to far flung colleges or dumped at insignificant posts on deputation. This unhealthy trend has to be reversed forthwith”, he demanded.
Expecting reversal of the wrongs perpetrated by the previous bosses who headed HED during LG rule, another profesor posted in GCW, Parade avers, “The worst practice which has done more damage than good was the postings of male members to head Women Colleges as Principal”.
Terming these practices as impediments in the growth of academics, reliable sources in HED said, “Indeed some wrongs have happened in the past in postings of Principals as well as teachers and the new HED Minister would look into the matter and trash such undesired practices”.
Sources further asserted that those standing at the fag end of retirement also need to be attached with the parent department so that the vacant slots are filled with the deserving of the PSC lists as well as those posted in peripheries.
This is a most desirable priority to restore the declining academic standards besides shattered confidence of aggrieved college academicians as well as public, says a retired College Principal.