Government-owned higher education institutions in Karnataka are reeling under an unprecedented leadership crisis. Of the state’s 412 government degree-awarding arts, science, commerce and law colleges with an aggregate enrolment of 300,000 students, only 19 have a permanent principal. The remaining 393 are managed by ‘in-charge principals’, usually the senior-most lecturers of the colleges. 

The crisis has been brewing for several years. The last time the state government made an ‘enhancement of positions’ (formal description of the process to appoint principals) in its colleges was in 1983 and again in 2005. Over the years, as principals were transferred and retired, the colleges remained leaderless as successive governments neglected to appoint new principals reportedly because of the financial liability involved. 

Much to the resentment of college lecturers, in 2009 the state government also amended the College Cadre and Recruitment Rules, 1963, abolishing seniority-based promotions to the office of principal, and the top administrative position in the directorate. Following the amendment, principals of government colleges and the directorate became contractual appointees with five-year terms. The Karnataka Government College Teachers’ Association (KGCTA) challenged the amendment in 2010 and the case is pending before the Karnataka Appellate Tribunal (KAT).

KGCTA, which has a membership of 5,000 tenured (permanent) teachers, lecturers and professors, has now threatened to call a strike on March 11-12 if the government fails to respond to their several demands including immediate appointment of principals. Comments H. Prakash, associate professor at Bangalore’s Maharani’s Arts, Commerce and Management College for Women, and president of the association: “The government is not serious about filling academic and administrative posts in its colleges and state universities. It is trying to save money as the appointment of 400 principals will cost the exchequer Rs.4 crore per month. However, because of faculty/principals shortage, government colleges are experiencing a crisis. Major administrative issues are pending as ad hoc principals don’t have the authority or will to address them. Academic standards are falling because of faculty shortages and pending curriculum reform issues. Students are the ultimate victims.” 

M.S. Thimmappa, a highly-respected former vice chancellor of Bangalore University (2002-2006) and former member of the Karnataka Knowledge Commission, warns about complacency on the issue of leaderless higher education institutions. “A college principal is the leader of the institution. Without a leader invested with full administrative and academic management authority, faculty and students will lose the drive and will to strive for excellence. Ad-hoc principals who are usually academicians without admin experience seldom have the vision, zeal or the authority to introduce curriculum changes or undertake administrative reforms. Without full-time principals, the quality of education and research will nose-dive and colleges will lose ranking and public respect. Government cannot continue taking shelter under ad-hoc arrangements for such long periods as the function of colleges is to prepare school-leavers for industry, business and advanced education,” says Thimmappa.

With the state government advertising heavily to attract domestic and foreign investors to establish new-age industries in the state which has acquired the reputation of the IT (information technologies) epicentre of the country because of its well-educated young adults, the Congress state government seems to have woken up to this massive higher ed leadership crisis. “The file is being processed and appointments will be made soon. The government has understood the enormity of the issue. This will be the third time in 35 years that enhancement of positions is being done in government degree colleges,” says Prof. M.K. Nayak, director of the state government’s department of collegiate education. 

However, with the five-year term of the Congress government at its fag end and campaigning for assembly elections due in the next three months in full swing, it’s doubtful if this issue, which is peripheral to the masses, will be addressed during the term of the incumbent Congress government. Fortunately, Karnataka has 190 private engineering colleges and 14 private universities. It is these much maligned private institutions of higher education that new-age companies — if they are persuaded to invest in the state — will draw their well-educated professionals from.

Shruthy Susan Ullas (Bangalore)