HC issues notices to three Principals
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 04 2014 :
In response to the writ petition filed by ten affected teachers with regard to the recruitment of 25 regular Principals, the High Court of Manipur had issued notices on Dec 1 to the three appointed Principals of Oriental College, Lilong Haoreibi College and Manipur College and ordered that their appointment would be subject to the outcome of the writ petition.
Further, the Court also granted three weeks time to reply to the notices.
According to a statement issued by the Federation of Govt College Teachers' Association, Manipur (FECOGTA), the ten petitioners were declared 'eligible' by the Manipur Public Service Commission to face interview in the recruitment for the posts of regular Principals on different dates.
The petitioners urged the High Court to quash the appointment orders of the three regular Principals on ground that they do not possess the essential qualifications.
They also contended that the special screening committee on API score assessment was arbitrarily constituted and there was manipulative selection procedure and violation of UGC Regulations 2010 .
None of the three appointed regular Principals has API score of 400 as in five parameters.
API scores of other candidates including the petitioners were never made public.
At the same time, FECOGTA demanded the Govt to ensure smooth academic activities including semester exams in colleges which started today.
Pointing out that the interests and academic careers of the students are the primary consideration of FEGOCTA, the teachers' association said it supports the legal course of action against irregularities in the appointment of Principals.
The association also made its stand clear on the demand to appoint regular Principals in all Govt colleges.
It had earlier submitted a memorandum to the authority concerned including the Education Minister to issue notification of the adoption of API for direct recruitment of college Principals as per UGC Regulations 2010 and to issue advertisements afresh for recruitment of 25 regular Principals.
On October 9, FECOGTA cautioned the Govt that legal course of action would be taken up if it failed to cancel the interview of only three candidates and to issue fresh advertisement for 25 regular Principals within ten days.
The Education Minister assured the association on Oct 18 that re-advertisement for recruitment of all regular Principals would be issued.
Despite the assurance, the MPSC went ahead with the interview on November 4 and the Higher Education Dept appointed the three Principals on November 14 causing strong resentment in the teaching community as such appointment would harm the standards and quality of higher education in the State, it pointed out.