Govt takes over National Council for Teacher Education

 In a swift operation, the HRD ministry on Thursday night superseded the National Council for Teacher Education for six months through a gazette notification. The ministry had recently issued a show cause notice to the Council about the large scale irregularities in the grant of recognition to teacher training institutes.

All members of the NCTE – irrespective of the fact that their term is over or not – were asked to vacate their office. Chairperson MA Siddiqui, whose removal was earlier ordered by the HRD minister, has already gone to the Delhi High Court.

All powers and duties of the NCTE would now be carried out by officials appointed by the HRD ministry. On Friday, the ministry issued a separate order appointing Anshu Vaish, secretary, school education and literacy, as chairperson of NCTE and RP Sisodia, joint secretary, department of higher education, as member-secretary.

The gazette notification said that NCTE was issued a show-cause notice which cited several instances showing that the institution had failed to carry out its functions, "consistently defaulted" in its duties and did not comply with directions issued by the HRD ministry.

In its reply, NCTE admitted "there have been gross procedural lapses in processing of cases (for recognition) in terms of non-preparation of comprehensive agenda, intimation of deficiencies on the proposals to institutions within specified time frame and lack of supervision and monitoring." NCTE asked HRD to reconsider the move to supersede it and also said non-compliance of the government's direction was not "willful". But the government felt the reply was not convincing as NCTE had consistently failed and therefore taking over its functions was the only way out.

Sources said what particularly upset the ministry was the way NCTE's western regional committee went against not only HRD's specific direction but despite protest by the Maharashtra government gave recognition to 291 teacher training institutions. The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court had quashed the recognition given to these institutions and said it was a breach of government directive. The promoters of these institutions have now gone to the Supreme Court where is the matter is pending.

In the meantime, the apex court has set up a committee headed by former chief justice JS Varma to look into various issues relating to teacher education in the country as well the Maharashtra case of granting recognition to 291 teacher training institutes. The committee's terms of reference include an examination of teacher education courses and if they follow the teaching norms as set out by the Right to Education Act. The committee will also review whether the present system of empowering withdrawal of recognition to institutions is adequate. Besides, it will evolve standards and norms for evaluating teacher performance.

Source:TOI