After putting on hold the Bachelor of Journalism (BJ) examinations, Nagpur University may do the same for the Master in Education
(MEd)
examinations beginning from May 15. Sources said the university was likely to put on hold MEd examinations as situation of shortage of lecturers is more or less similar to BJ course.
Sources added that Nagpur University had 11 affiliated MEd colleges having over 400 students. A majority of them did not even have full time principal, let alone regular lecturers. All of them used services of contributory lecturers.
MEd admissions are done by the university but as per the terms of the Nation Council for Teachers' Education (NCTE), an apex body formed on Supreme Court directions. The NCTE stipulates that the colleges should have one professor, two readers and three lecturers within three months of getting affiliation. If any institute fails to comply with the norms, NCTE can cancel admissions in them.
Since MEd is the post-graduate course, it is mandatory for the institutes to appoint full-time lecturers as per the guidelines of University Grants Commission (UGC) too, sources said. The colleges are believed to have begun admissions even before getting NCTE approval, thus openly flouting norms.
The university grants affiliation after NCTE approval. However, the university's Local Enquiry Committees (LECs) that visited these colleges were shocked to find lack of facilities and they are being run without a single full-time teacher. These LECs had reported many discrepancies in their reports submitted to the university, sources revealed. Sources also disclosed that many BEd and MEd colleges were running even without affiliation from the NCTE.
Since BEd exams are already over, only MEd exams will be put on hold.