Gandhinagar : Inquiries into irregularities flagged in a BEd college in Gir Somnath district have exposed potential regulatory violations in around 70 private colleges across the state. Nearly 8,000 students are enrolled in these colleges. The institutions have come under govt scrutiny after they were found to be running without valid National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) approval, mandatory for university affiliation and student admissions.
Top sources in the education department said Commissionerate of Higher Education told TOI that there are 366 BEd colleges in the state. nearly 70 private colleges have failed to comply,” said a senior official While reports of 296 colleges are available on the NCTE portal.
Academicians associated with BEd colleges said the issue could put the spotlight on a university-college nexus. If a university has granted affiliation to BEd colleges without verifying whether it has valid NCTE approval, it could be held equally culpable,” said Dilip Chaudhary, secretary of Self-Financed BEd, MEd College Management Association. “NCTE had provided approvals to a number of private BEd colleges, and they were required to furnish verification and confirmation reports to the council. The scrutiny follows anomalies first flagged in approvals of Shrimati Vanitaben Bachubhai Nandola B.Ed College in Una taluka of Gir Somnath district. Commissioner of higher education Dilip Rana is learnt to have written to the institutions, directing them to expedite the process and submit the pending reports at the earliest. “Only colleges with mandatory NCTE approval can be granted university affiliations. The universities also have a local inquiry committee to visit colleges and ensure the institutions meet all regulatory criteria.