BHUBANESWAR: The 488 category non-government aided colleges which have been managing with in-charge principals till date will finally get full time heads of the institutions soon.
The senior most readers will be appointed as principals of the colleges from this academic year onwards, the department of Higher Education has decided.
The department has reconstituted the common cadre of teachers/lecturers appointed against the direct payment posts of non-government aided colleges and prepared new guidelines for posting of principals in 488 category colleges. There are nearly 7,106 direct payment posts in such colleges. The cadre now does not include block grant lecturers who are covered under grant-in-aid (GIA)-2004 system.
So far, only principals in-charge were appointed to 488 category colleges and did not have financial autonomy or other powers as a full-time principal. According to the new guidelines, only teachers from the common cadre of reader grade are to be appointed as principals. If there is no eligibile reader for the post, the senior most lecturer will be appointed as principal.
Officials said a reader with no vigilance or criminal cases will be considered for the position. The position will be held for a period of three years. A tentative gradation list of readers has been prepared by the department and will be published after disposal of objections. After publication of the final list, principals will be appointed on the basis of their seniority in the gradation list of readers in the common cadre.
Prior to reconstitution of the cadre, the state government had implemented the GIA system for 488-college category teachers but did not provide facilities received by other regular teachers getting GIA salary.