Hyderabad: Around 80 of 425 government junior colleges do not have regular principals. The filling of vacancies was stated to be critical, as remedial classes for students who failed the Intermediate examinations were underway, and the admissions process, which began on May 1, required principal-level oversight for enrolment and academic planning.
To fill the gap, principals of nearby colleges have been given additional charge, and in some cases, senior lecturers are handling the role in an acting capacity. This has burdened staff, who are struggling to balance administrative and teaching responsibilities. In Komaram Bheem Asifabad district, one principal is managing three colleges, in addition to serving as the district intermediate education officer. The colleges are spread across remote rural areas, compounding the difficulty.
K. Krishna Kumar, president of the Government Junior Colleges Principals Association, said, “Principal posts have been vacant for several years. In Manoor Government Junior College, Sangareddy, the post has remained vacant since 2017.” He added that regular principals bring stability, whereas those holding additional charge are overwhelmed with multiple responsibilities. He urged the government to appoint principals before the new academic year begins.
A junior college principal, requesting anonymity, said, “Only 22 colleges are located in Hyderabad. The rest are in districts. Without a regular principal, there is no supervisory authority. If student enrolments drop, some colleges may even face closure. This is a crucial time to support students who failed and in the absence of a regular principal there is no supervision authority on lecturers.”
Officials from the Directorate of Intermediate Education said principal posts have been made state cadre posts and an integrated seniority list of lecturers has been prepared. “The proposal for promotions has been sent to the state government. Once approved, a departmental promotion committee will be constituted to fill the vacancies.”
P. Madhusudan Reddy, president of the Government Junior Colleges Lecturers Association, said 62 colleges are currently without regular principals and 24 newly opened colleges do not even have sanctioned principal posts. “It is difficult to run a college without a principal. Another 24 vacancies are expected by August. The government must expedite the appointment process,” he urged.
