The Lok Sabha on Monday passed a bill to amend the National Council for Teacher Education Act, to provide retrospective approval to Bachelor of Education courses in institutions which are funded by the Centre or states, but do not have recognition for their courses under the 1993 Act.

Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar told the House that many central and state universities run Bachelor of Education courses, but these courses are unrecognised. South Bihar Central University, Jharkhand Central University, Sagar Central University, Kurukshetra State University, Sikkim State University, Pondicherrry Central University, Aligarh Muslim University Murshidabad, Manipur Central University and the Benaras Hindu University are some of the institutions whose B Ed courses will be recognised now.

The minister said that the courses were not recognised for three reasons – a communication gap between the government and the varsity, misunderstandings, and laxity on the part of the college. “We are telling the universities that we are granting you recognition retrospectively, but this should not happen again,” Javadekar said.

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“The institutes must give quality education,” Javadekar said. “So the government will start an integrated B Ed course from next year – Bachelor of Arts-Bachelor of Education, Bachelor of Science-Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Commerce-Bachelor of Education. These will be four-year composite courses. This will ensure that only those who want to become teachers – not those who join the profession because they cannot find employment – will teach.”

Javadekar said the ministry has asked the colleges to submit affidavits recording the facilities they offer, so that the quality of education is maintained. “There will also be an induction programme for new recruits,” the minister added.