Imphal, September 28: The All Manipur College Teachers' Association (AMCTA) has urged upon the State Government to appoint regular Principals for Government Colleges and to appoint a full fledged Director for Education (U).

Briefing media persons at Press Club today, AMCTA president P Laingam noted that the condition of higher education in Manipur has deteriorated to a miserable state.

He asserted that it's getting late for the State Government to frame a clear cut and effective education policy with a long term vision.

For the last two decades, no regular Principal was ever appointed to any Government College.

All the while, the colleges are being run under in-charge Principals, Laingam observed.

In the absence of regular Principals, most of the colleges are facing various problems and lack of proper attention leading to downfall of such colleges, he noted.

In such a deplorable juncture, there has been no separate Director for Education (U) which has also been posing major hindrance to any prospect for development of Government colleges.

To ward off any further deterioration of the state of higher education in Manipur, Laingam insisted for regular Principals and a separate Director for Education (U).

Including three professional colleges, there are 28 colleges under the Government of Manipur at present.

According to the Manipur University Ordinance, the total number of teachers required for these colleges is 1918.Out of this, the number of post sanctioned by the Govt is 1260 and the number teachers working at present in these colleges is 984.Further, 40 teachers will be retiring by February next year.

As such, almost all the colleges are facing the problem of teacher shortage, observed Laingam while asserting that the number of teachers in colleges should not decided on teacher-student ratio alone.

He explained that a teacher of one subject cannot teach another subject.

Regarding the decline in number of students in some colleges, Laingam observed that unavailability of faculties of their own choice in colleges of Manipur has been forcing students to go to other States for higher studies, the AMCTA president remarked.

Another factor contributing to the decline in the number of students in colleges is the low rate of pass percentage in Board and Council exams.

Considering all these points, it's call of the time to open new faculties in colleges and to frame an effective policy so as to improve pass percentage in Board and Council exams, Laingam asserted.

In this connection, the intake capacity of each Govt college should be announced in advance.

Laingam also accused the State Govt of receiving a huge amount of money by claiming that the UGC scheme has been fully implemented in the State.

Contrary to the claim, the service period of teachers which should be 62 years as per UGC guideline has not been enforced as yet, Laingam asserted.

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