Funds to teach principals how to seek funds

Though there are hundreds of schemes to benefit students and the education sector, most institutions cannot avail of their benefits as the principals do not know how to apply for them.

To address this lapse, University of Mumbai has submitted a proposal to the University Grants Commission (UGC) seeking Rs12 crore to set up an administrative training center at Kalina campus for college principals and office registrars.

If accepted, the varsity could be the first in the state to provide such training to college heads.

Since principals are basically teachers promoted after years on the job, they hardly get any training for the new position. Consequently, they heavily rely on office registrars and it takes years before they acquire adequate administrative skills. The lack of training among principals is felt acutely, especially since they are primarily responsible for the growth of their institution.

Several times, due to lack of knowledge, principals are unable to take benefit of academic schemes made available by state and central governments. For instance, the UGC has devised several schemes that provide funding ranging between Rs1 crore to Rs10 lakh to colleges.

However, as a principal from a college affiliated to Mumbai University revealed, “The truth is that most principals do not know how to avail of schemes offered by the UGC. Their proposals for funding are often rejected due to lack of information about how to apply for it. Some principals appoint consultants to draft such proposals and it is often retired principals whose help is sought.”

Dr Rajpal Hande, director, Board of Colleges and University Department, who submitted the proposal last week to the UGC in Delhi said, “There is no exclusive centre in the state to train principals. Once we have a centre to give scientific training to help principals, they will be in a position to apply to UGC for different kind of grants, and thus implement new schemes and courses in the colleges. The centre will also guide them in maintaining college budgets and service books of employees.”