Bihar's Bizarre Lottery System Makes Home Science Teacher Principal of Science College
For perhaps the first time in India, 116 principals are being appointed to top colleges through a lottery draw. This unusual process began with five colleges under Patna University. The results are raising eyebrows: for example, the principal of the renowned Science College comes from an arts background, while Patna College – one of the most historic institutions – now has a principal who was previously rejected for the post of assistant professor at the same college.
In another strange pairing, a home science lecturer has been appointed as principal of a commerce college, and at Magadh Mahila College, which has been an all-women's institution for 100 years, a male teacher has been made principal.
The Governor of Bihar, who is also the Chancellor of state universities, claims that vice-chancellors were demanding bribes for appointing principals. To prevent this, a lottery-based system was introduced. Officials have defended the process by pointing out that IAS officers also get state cadre allocations via lottery after their training.
Back in March, the Bihar State University Service Commission conducted interviews for 172 candidates, starting daily at 8 AM. Each interview panel included a vice-chancellor and a commission member. Of those, 156 were shortlisted for 116 vacancies.
On May 16, 2025, the Governor’s Principal Secretary, Robert L. Chongthu, issued a directive (Letter No. 774) to all vice-chancellors instructing them to use a random lottery system to post the selected candidates as principals. A class IV (low-ranking) employee conducted the draw, the process was video recorded, and local MLAs were invited per Raj Bhavan’s instruction to maintain transparency.
The result?
Alka Yadav, a home science teacher from a girls' college in Hajipur, is now the principal of Patna Science College.
Amit Kumar from Jhansi, earlier rejected for a teaching post, is now principal of Patna College.
Suheli Mahatta, a home science lecturer and daughter of a former minister, has been posted as principal of a commerce college.
A male teacher has been made principal of the century-old Magadh Mahila College, meant exclusively for women.
According to sources in Raj Bhavan, the wife of one of the most powerful bureaucrats in Bihar, close to the Chief Minister, was also lobbying for a principal post in Patna, despite being ranked below 100 in the merit list. When such lobbying increased, Governor Arif Mohammad Khan decided to implement the lottery system to eliminate favoritism.
However, this method has no legal basis. Under the Patna University Act 1976 (amended 2008) and the Bihar Universities Act 1976 (amended 2008), the vice-chancellor is empowered to appoint principals based on merit and seniority. The post of a principal is a tenure-based position, typically limited to five years, after which a junior faculty member may be promoted.
Senior faculty, like Professor Atul Aditya Pandey, who has taught geology at Science College for 32 years, said:
> “The interview was a joke — it felt more like ragging. People far less qualified than me were evaluating us.”
Interestingly, Suheli Mahatta has refused to join the commerce college. She stated:
> “I have always taught home science. I have no connection to commerce or economics.”
Notably, all newly appointed principals in the five Patna University colleges come from EBC (Extremely Backward Class), BC (Backward Class), or SC (Scheduled Caste) categories.
In the end, home science teachers have been appointed to pure science and commerce colleges, and someone who failed to qualify for assistant professor has now become principal of Patna College, a 150-year-old institution — thanks to the lottery system.
