The process of selecting principals for government arts and science colleges in Kerala is facing renewed scrutiny. The Kerala Administrative Tribunal (KAT) has flagged significant irregularities, particularly questioning decisions that prioritized research scores above a candidate’s seniority.
A Division Bench, led by judicial member P.V. Asha and administrative member N. Vasudevan, hinted at potential judicial intervention and has formally requested a response from the government regarding these allegations.
The Troubling Research Score Criterion
These concerns stem from a petition filed on September 29 by Varghese Jacob, the Principal of Government College, Kottayam. Jacob contends that the current selection methods not only disregard the University Grants Commission (UGC) Regulations of 2018 but also contradict earlier directives from the KAT itself.
According to Jacob, while official norms require evaluating only peer-reviewed publications found on the UGC-CARE list, the selection committee allegedly made research score the only decisive factor. Alarmingly, the committee reportedly accepted articles from unrecognised journals and even college magazines to boost these scores. Furthermore, Jacob claims a “secret list” of 51 candidates was sent to the government for approval by the Departmental Promotion Committee.
Concerns Over Ineligible Candidates
This controversial approach, Jacob states, led to the unfair exclusion of qualified senior academics, including himself, in favor of candidates who might not meet the required standards. UGC regulations for principal appointments are clear: they stipulate a minimum of 10 research publications in peer-reviewed or UGC-listed journals and a research score of at least 110.
The petitioner is urging the tribunal to annul the current selection process and demand the creation of a new list that strictly follows UGC guidelines. The tribunal has scheduled the case for further hearing on October 9.