Gaya College employees oppose principal's transfer

GAYA: The sudden transfer of Gaya College principal Shrikant Sharma put the college on the boil as teaching and non-teaching employees of the college angrily demonstrated against the transfer order outside the VC's residence late on Saturday evening.
Sensing trouble, the VC, Arvind Kumar, made a hasty retreat and stayed the operation of the transfer order to buy peace with defiant teaching and non-teaching employees of the college.
As soon as the notification regarding Shrikant Sharma's transfer to S S College, Jehanabad, reached the college on Saturday forenoon, the teaching and non-teaching employees of the college closed ranks and gathered in strength to register their protest against the transfer order. Earlier, the MU registrar, Bansidhar Lal, on the orders of the VC Arvind Kumar notified Shrikant Sharma's transfer from Gaya College, Gaya, to SS College, Jehanabad.
What irked the employees more was the selection of V S Rai, principal of Ram Lakhan Singh Yadav College, Bakhtiyarpur, having very little experience of the post, as Sharma's replacement. Gaya College, Gaya, it may be recalled, has been accorded A grade by the National Accreditation Council and as per convention, the college is headed by senior and experienced principals. A few months back, the University Grants Commission identified Gaya College as the college with potential for excellence.
Justifying the protest against the principal's transfer, Ram Bilas Singh, secretary of the Gaya College Teachers' Association, said that the university has already given an undertaking to the UGC that it (university) will maintain continuity and not make transfers to carry forward the ongoing projects. The undertaking was part of the UGC condition for granting the 'Potential for Excellence' status to the college. Moreover, the principal did not face any charges and as such, the transfer order appeared whimsical, said Singh.
According to the VC Arvind Kumar, the principal was transferred at the instance of the Raj Bhawan. Asked why the transfer order was stayed when it was issued at the instance of the Raj Bhawan, the VC said that the order was stayed to honour the sentiments of the teachers. Moreover, Shrikant Sharma hailed from Jehanabad and the post of the principal, S S College, Jehanabad, was vacant for quite sometime, the VC added.
Asked whether the backtracking on the issue of principal's transfer has not diluted his authority and made him vulnerable to pressure tactics in the days to come, the VC said the question of dilution of authority does not arise. To a question as to which decision (transfer or stay of the transfer) was correct, the VC said that both the decisions were correct.