NCTE forms panel to probe alleged irregularities at 4 Barkatullah University B.Ed colleges

The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) has formed a five-member panel to investigate the functioning of four BEd colleges in Madhya Pradesh. The fact-finding and verification committee will inspect whether the educational institutions are functioning from their declared locations with proper infrastructure.

According to an official statement, HCS Rathore, a former vice-chancellor of the Central University of South Bihar, will lead the NCTE's fact-finding committee and submit its report, along with supported documents and videographic evidence within five working days.

The decision by the teacher education council to form an investigative panel comes after several media reports surfaced the irregularities in three BEd colleges affiliated with Barkatullah University, PTI reported.

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NCTE's fact-finding panel begins probe at teacher education B.Ed colleges in MP

An ANI report stated, citing NCTE officials, that the committee, which was formed on July 15, reached MP on July 17 to begin the investigation. After a preliminary verification by the panel, a fourth BEd college was added in the report after it found that the institute was operating from the same premises.

Other committee members include Ashima Mangla, joint secretary, University Grants Commission (UGC); Bhagwati Prasad Kalal, director, department of school education and literacy, ministry of education; JP Singh, director, department of school education and literacy, MoE; a nominee of the government of Madhya Pradesh and Wg Cdr Vijay Rana, regional director, western regional committee, NCTE.

"An independent fact-finding panel was constituted, as per directions of Ministry of Education, to conduct on-site physical verification of the teacher education institutions supported by geotagged, videography and photography, examine the allegations recorded in the media and verify the factual position by comparing on-site findings with the records submitted by the institutions including recognition documents and assess compliance of norms," said a senior official of the NCTE in the PTI report.

Furthermore, the committee will also check whether the colleges are following the NCTE Act, 1993, regulations, and prescribed norms and standards, including infrastructure, instructional facilities, labs, land availability, faculty strength and other conditions of recognition, ANI report read.