Validating Teacher Qualifications From Unrecognised Colleges

New Delhi, Nov 27 (UNI) An ordinance has been promulgated to validate teacher education qualifications obtained from unrecognised institutions and prescribe penalty for running such institutions, Parliament was told today.

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Human Resource Development M A A Fatmi said the Ordinance was brought into effect two months ago-- September 11-- following Calcutta High Court orders in Public Interest Litigation against unrecognised B Ed colleges.

The National Council for Teacher Education (Amendment and Validation) Ordinance amended the National Council for Teacher Education Act, 1993, Fatmi stated.

The litigation involved two writ petitions-- Tulshi Bakshi Vs the State of West Bengal and Anjan Bhattacharya Vs State of West Bengal-- against institutions running B Ed courses without NCTE recognition.

The Court ordered that running teachers training courses and granting affiliation and holding examinations conducted by such colleges without the NCTE recognition contravened the 1993 Act.

The Court directed the Universities not to allow the students of the respondent institutions to appear for B Ed Examination.

The Ordinance set terms for eligibility.

As many as 4,154 secondary level Teacher Training Institutions across India have been recognised by the NCTE.

They include: Andhra Pradesh 341, Karnataka 367, Kerala 180, Tamil Nadu 322, Pondicherry 32, Andaman 1, Maharashtra 614, Madhya Pradesh 329, Gujarat 283, Chattisgarh 55, Goa 4, Daman and Diu 2, Arunchal Pradesh 2, Assam 46, Bihar 13, Jharkhand 35, Manipur 6, Meghalaya 4, Mizoram 2, Nagaland 3, Orissa 15, Sikkim 2, Tripura 4, West Bengal 40, Himachal Pradesh 52, Delhi 37, Uttar Pradesh 728, Uttranchal 49, Rajasthan 291, Punjab 149, Haryana 143 and Chandigarh 3.

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