Imphal, March 29: It is an irony that while State as well as non-State entities have been crying for improving the education system, none of the Government Colleges in Manipur, with the exception of three professional colleges, have regular Principals.

It is all the more appalling that the colleges which have fewer number of students are overcrowded with teachers and vice-versa.

According to a reliable source from the Higher Education Department of the State Government, out of the 24 colleges under the Government of Manipur, only three professional colleges namely Hindi Teachers Training College, LMS Law College and PGT Colleges have regular Principals.

The rest are being managed by Principals in-charge, thus causing administrative inconveniences in these colleges.

The steps taken up by the Government to appoint of regular Principals has been rejected by MPSC as the details on the requisite RRs were not clearly defined.

In this connection, an official from the Department informed that efforts are being made to make the necessary correction and forward the same to MPSC so that the task of appointing the regular Principals may be effected very soon.

There are around 58 colleges in Manipur.

Out of these, 3 are professional colleges, 25 are degree colleges, 6 are aided colleges and 6 others are getting grants either one time or lumpsum and the rest are privately run ones.

There is also disparity between the ratio of the teachers and the students in many of these colleges, the source said, adding that this call for an immediate need for formulating a effective rationalisation policy.

The source pointed out that the numbers of students who appeared in this year's examination of BA/BSc/B Com Ist year was 9 and 16 in 3rd year from Ideal Girls College at Akampat, which is one of the Government Colleges.

Some of the other colleges, both grant in-aid and private where the number of student examinee was very low are Western College, Konthoujam; Kumbi College; Ching-Ta College, Rayburn College, Kakch-ing College, Kakching Khunou College, Pole Star College, Wangoi; Canchipur College, Shri Shri Gouragovind Girl's College, Khurai, Mangolnganbi College, Ningthoukhong,etc, the source added.

Interesting the Government of Manipur yesterday issued an order to the effect of granting lumpsum grant of around Rs 3 lakh to TS Paul Manipur Women's College at Mongsanggei from where only 4 students have appeared in the Ist year and 3 students in the 3rd year examination of BA/B Sc/ B Com examination this year.

The total number of sanctioned posts in all the Government colleges is 1287 and the numbers of teachers working in these colleges as on February 24 is 1042.There are 245 posts of teachers which are laying vacant in these colleges, the source disclosed.

According to the staffing pattern of Manipur University, the total number of teachers required is 1979.On this basis, the total number of teacher still required to be appointed is 937, the source added.

The number of part-time lecturers presently working in 26 Government colleges is 466 and these part-timers have been exerting pressure on the Govt for regularising their service, the source noted.

The source further pointed out that number of students enrolled in the Colleges in Manipur has also been coming down every year.

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