Integrated B.Ed courses from next year: Minister
New Delhi, July 23 : 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.
Congress MP Deepender Hooda stressed the need for setting up a National Sports University in Haryana from where, he said, a number of medal-winning sportspersons have emerged.
He also demanded an Institutions of Eminence status to one of the prominent universities in Haryana.
TMC MP Saugata Roy emphasised improvement in standards of teachers education and suggested that more English-medium government schools should be established.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
