Teaching Grinds to a Halt at Lakshadweep Colleges as Contract Staff Remain Unrenewed

Kavaratti: Higher education has come to a standstill at colleges in Lakshadweep due to a shortage of teachers. The crisis has arisen because the administration has failed to renew the contracts of teachers appointed on a contractual basis, as there are no permanent faculty members. Despite the worsening situation, the Lakshadweep Education Director and Administrator have not renewed the contracts, putting the future of numerous students at risk.

The Lakshadweep Administration is responsible for faculty and non-teaching staff appointments, college admissions and administration. In the absence of permanent teachers, the colleges had been relying on contractual staff to conduct classes.

The affected institutions are Kadmat Government College of Arts and Science, Androth Government College of Arts and Science, Kavaratti B.Ed. College and Minicoy Polytechnic. The services of teachers, including principals, have ceased following the expiry of their contracts.

At Kadmat Government College of Arts and Science and educational institutions in Androth, existing courses were discontinued without prior warning and new courses were announced. However, admissions to the new courses have not yet begun.

College authorities have written to the Administrator several times, informing the administration that the teachers’ contracts were expiring and requesting their renewal. They have received no response. Students awaiting admission for the new academic year are also facing uncertainty.

Courses discontinued before admissions

The administration had earlier caused difficulties for students by reducing the number of courses just before the admission process began. In July this year, the Lakshadweep Directorate of Education issued an order discontinuing four undergraduate courses across the government arts and science colleges in Androth and Kadmat. The courses were cancelled just before admissions for the 2026–27 academic year were due to begin, causing considerable hardship to students.

With higher education opportunities already limited across the islands, the reduction in courses is expected to affect students significantly. Most students from Lakshadweep currently depend on colleges in other states, including Keralam, for higher education. Special reservation seats are available for Lakshadweep students in colleges in Keralam.

However, the financial burden of studying outside the islands leads many students to pursue higher education locally. The reduction in courses is now narrowing even these limited opportunities.

There have also been delays in issuing certificates to students who completed their undergraduate courses in previous years.

Change in university affiliation

The colleges in Lakshadweep are currently affiliated with Pondicherry University. They were previously under the University of Calicut, which established study centres on islands including Kadmat in 2005. Batches up to 2020 were under the University of Calicut.

As part of the Central government's new policies for Lakshadweep, the affiliation of colleges on the islands was transferred to Pondicherry University in 2021. The Calicut University study centre at Kadmat was renamed Kadmat Government College of Arts and Science and inaugurated in January 2022 as an affiliated college under Pondicherry University.

The shift to Pondicherry University has created significant difficulties for students in the islands.

School education also faces a crisis

Apart from higher education, general education in Lakshadweep is also facing a crisis. As many as 49.21 per cent of schools in the islands are reportedly closed.

Lakshadweep had 63 schools in 2020: 11 senior secondary schools, two secondary schools, seven upper primary schools, 23 junior basic schools and 20 nursery schools. The number has now fallen to 32, with 31 schools having been shut down.