BSAEU sticks to decision of withholding affiliation for 253 B.Ed colleges

Kolkata: Vice-Chancellor (V-C) of Baba Saheb Ambedkar Education University (BSAEU), Soma Bandyopadhyay, on Monday, reiterated that the varsity will stick to its decision of withholding affiliation for about 253 B.Ed colleges for the 2023-25 academic session for flouting norms set by NCTE (National Council for Teacher Education).

The strict stand of the university authorities assumes significance in the wake of it being accused of not being sympathetic to the students’ interest by not allowing affiliation to the colleges. The university authorities are being pressured from different quarters to reconsider its stand.

“The admission process in the university is carried out in online mode and until and unless a college is affiliated, a student can no way seek admission in such a college. So, if some colleges have admitted students in offline mode, or through any other unfair means, and if the students have sought admission despite knowing admission is strictly online, then the varsity has nothing to do. The process of affiliation started in April- May and the colleges have been communicated time and again to fulfil the norms set by NCTE but they continued to remain indifferent,” Bandyopadhyay said.

The university authorities had adopted resolution in its executive committee (EC) meeting held in June about diligently following NCTE norms for affiliation and had written to the state Higher Education department about its decision at the EC.

The Vice-Chancellor was informed of the issue of being indifferent to NCTE norms by a number of persons associated with academics. Satyajit Barman, Bengal Minister of State for Education, a few months back had also flagged the issue of irregularities in a number of colleges. Most of the colleges that have been refused affiliation came under the aegis of BSAEU after 2022. About 155 colleges affiliated to Burdwan University had come under BSAEU after 2022.

The three main criteria for affiliation include fire safety certificate, faculty list and DBT (direct benefit transfer). As per NCTE norms, for 50 students in a teacher’s training institution there should be seven teachers and one principal. In the case of DBT, the university has come across a number of cases when payment of salary was not properly made to teachers. There are also cases of fake beneficiary transfer. There are 624 colleges across the state under BSAEU among which 24 are government, government-aided or sponsored.