Rajya Sabha passes National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) amendment Bill

The Rajya Sabha on Thursday approved a bill to provide retrospective recognition to central and state government funded institutions offering B.Ed and related courses that are not recognised under the National Council for Teacher Education Act. The National Council for Teacher Education (Amendment) Bill would help over 17,000 students who have obtained B.Ed degrees from those institutions which do not have NCTE approval for the course under the 1993 law, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said in Rajya Sabha.

The bill would provide post-facto approval to the students from several state and central universities, whose degree have no recognition  under the 1993 law, the Minister said replying to the debate in the Upper House where it was passed on Thursday. Lok Sabha has already passed this bill on July 23, 2018.

Javadekar said this amendment would help several central and state universities that were running Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) and related courses  without having any recognition.

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The minister said the government would ensure that the quality of institutes offering B.Ed courses is maintained. Javadekar said the ministry has asked them to submit affidavits and video recording of the facilities they offer.

Moreover, the government proposes to start integrated course in B.ED as in Law and other courses from 2020, Javadekar added.

“I hope, like law, integrated course in this would also be successful,” he said adding the Centre is enforcing strict standards for the institiutes  offerings teacher’s training courses.

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According to him, in the last three years, the government has not given any permission for new B.ED colleges. Supporting the bill, JD(U) member Kahkashan Perween said this was  the need of the hour. KK Ragesh of CPI(M) said NCTE should not be filled with only bureaucrats.