AGARTALA, July 23 (TIWN): Parliament today passed a bill to amend the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) Act seeking to provide post-facto approval to those approved institutions which are funded by the Centre or states, but do not have recognition under the 1993 law. Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Prakash Javadekar said the legislation has been brought for the benefit of the students who have appeared for B.Ed, M.Ed and various other exams, but their institutes are not recognised. After Lok Sabha cleared the amendment bill, HRD Minister expressed his happiness by saying, "I am very happy that the house unanimously supported for the passage of The National Council for Teacher Education (Amendment) Bill, 2017".Even as the Lok Sabha on Monday passed an amendment bill on teachers education, Union HRD minister Prakash Javadekar announced that four-year integrated B.Ed courses will be started from the next academic year.

The Human Resource Development Minister said that the government is on the verge of formulating the National Education Policy, "which is almost ready and is giving a final shape to it". 

The National Council for Teacher Education (Amendment) Bill, 2017, amends the National Council for Teacher Education Act, 1993.

It seeks to grant retrospective recognition to certain teacher education institutions and grant retrospective permission to start new courses/training in teacher education.

Replying to a debate on the bill, Javadekar said: "The institutes conducting these courses... I found there were communication gaps, misunderstanding and laxity. So, we are going to fix their responsibility. We must ensure quality education and teachers."

"The four-year composite courses are B.A (B.Ed), B.Sc (B.Ed) and B.Com (B.Ed). Those who want to become teachers can apply for these courses after Class 12. We are preparing ourselves for it," said the Minister.

Replying to a question by NCP MP Supriya Sule on conducting a study on the standards of teachers training, Javadekar said: "There are 18,600 institutes that offer B.Ed courses. There are about 1,000 private ones. No study has been conducted so far as Supriya Sule ji pointed out.

"We are going to prepare a report. We have asked these institutes to submit affidavits as to what all facilities they have and about their achievements. We have already received 8,700 affidavits whereas show-cause notices have been issued to the remaining." 

Javadekar stressed the need to make the institutes accountable and transparent and said that there will be stress on quality learning.