West Bengal govt launches crackdown on alleged irregularities in BEd colleges: Minister

Kolkata: The West Bengal government has launched a major crackdown on alleged irregularities in BEd colleges across the state, Higher Education Minister Jagannath Chattopadhyay said Thursday. The minister at a press meet warned of strict action against institutions found functioning without adequate infrastructure or being involved in the sale of degrees in a clandestine manner.

Chattopadhyay said education would not be allowed to become a commodity or a business and warned that institutions found violating norms would face strict action. "The state government has already issued show-cause notices to over 450 BEd colleges following a large-scale inspection drive conducted across the state," a department official said.

602 BEd colleges inspected over alleged irregularities

The inspections were carried out in July and August at 602 BEd colleges to assess their infrastructure and academic activities, he added. The move followed a letter from the chief secretary of a neighbouring state alleging that students from outside West Bengal were obtaining degrees from BEd, polytechnic, ITI and pharmacy colleges in the state by paying money without attending regular classes, the higher education department official said.

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Following the complaint, the Higher Education Department undertook a state-wide assessment of BEd institutions. The minister said that the colleges were evaluated on a 100-point matrix covering infrastructure, teaching standards, teacher attendance and other parameters. The average score recorded by the institutions was only 51.5 per cent, according to the findings.

53 BEd colleges found non-existent at registered addresses

During the inspections, officials found that 53 BEd colleges had no physical existence at their stated addresses, the higher education department official said. In some cases, the premises were found locked, while in others they were being used for unrelated activities. Inspectors also found 17 instances where BEd colleges had been registered or issued no-objection certificates at addresses such as flats or drawing rooms.

In some cases, multiple institutions, including BEd, polytechnic and pharmacy colleges, were allegedly shown as operating from the same premises by merely changing signboards, Chattopadhyay said. As many as 114 colleges scored below 30 out of 100 and were identified as being in particularly poor condition, the department official said.

In all, 265 institutions were classified as effectively non-functional or unfit, while the infrastructure of another 121 colleges was found to be in a serious state. Only 151 colleges scored between 65 and 85 per cent and were found to have comparatively satisfactory infrastructure, he added.

62,000 BEd degrees issued annually in West Bengal

The inspection has also raised concerns over the enrolment of students from other states. West Bengal produces around 62,000 BEd degrees every year, Chattopadhyay said, alleging that students from Goa, the northeastern states and neighbouring states often enrol in colleges in West Bengal but do not attend classes regularly.

Such students allegedly appear for examinations and obtain degrees despite not undergoing regular academic sessions, he said. The minister questioned how a Konkani-speaking student from Goa could obtain a BEd degree from a Bengali-medium institution without attending classes.

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The government served the colleges with show-cause notices to rectify the deficiencies, adhering to the principles of natural justice. If their replies are found unsatisfactory, the government may initiate stringent measures, including stopping admissions and recommending or initiating de-affiliation of the institutions, officials said.