Shimla: Over 75 per cent of the government colleges in Himachal Pradesh are functioning without a regular principal, according to the general secretary of the state college teachers' association.
Posts of regular principals are vacant in 119 out of 156 government colleges in the state, while 75 colleges are functioning without their own building, association general secretary R L Sharma said.
Two posts of principals designated as officers on special duty (OSD) at the directorate of higher education in Shimla are also lying vacant, he said.
When contacted, Director, Higher Education, Amarjeet Sharma said 25 appointments of principals would be made by the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission.
"We are aware that majority of colleges are without a regular principal. All the documents are ready for conducting Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) but a case is pending in the court and we are waiting for the court orders to proceed with the DPC," he added.
Criticising the previous BJP government, Sharma said, "It is unfortunate that the state government and the Himachal Pradesh University were talking about the implementation of the National Education Policy without considering basic issues of faculty requirement and infrastructural facilities".
At least 3,000 more teachers would be required in the colleges to implement the
multidisciplinary education system under the NEP 2020, he added.