Over a dozen colleges in Kashmir remain headless

Srinagar, Dec 8: Several Government Degree Colleges (GDCs) in Kashmir are operating without principals for several months, raising concerns about their administrative efficiency and academic standards.

According to officials in the Higher Education Department (HED), a significant number of principals retired in the past year, leaving these institutions headless. The government is yet to appoint permanent replacements or in-charge principals to fill these key positions.

In South Kashmir, Government Degree Colleges in Frisal and Kelam (Kulgam), Dooru and Qazigund (Anantnag), and Awantipora (Pulwama) have been without principals for one to two months following retirements.

An official revealed that senior faculty members assigned as in-charge lack drawing and disbursing (DDO) powers, hindering their ability to manage financial matters effectively. In Anantnag’s Government Degree College Larnoo, the senior faculty member with DDO powers has been acting as in-charge for the past four months.

In North Kashmir, the situation is equally concerning. The principal of Boys Degree College Kupwara has been assigned the additional charge of Women’s College Kupwara.

Similarly, in Government Degree Colleges at Handwara and Kraklpora, senior faculty members with DDO powers are managing affairs temporarily. In Hadigam ,Rafiabad, Baramulla, the principal of Degree College Sogam is holding additional charge.

Degree College Bomai Sopore also lacks a permanent principal, while in Srinagar, Degree Colleges Allochibagh is similarly headless. The absence of permanent principals has disrupted both academic and administrative operations in these institutions.

“Besides salary and pension disbursements, routine administrative tasks like minor repairs require financial approval. Without a college head, these issues remain unresolved,” an official said.

Director of Colleges in the Higher Education Department, Dr Sheikh Ajaz Bashir, said that many vacant principal positions have been filled recently. “A few colleges where principals retired recently are being managed by senior-most faculty members with DDO powers. The remaining vacant posts will be filled soon,” he said.