Calicut varsity to challenge NCTE order in High Court

Demand to restore recognition of teacher education centres offering B.Ed courses

The University of Calicut is exploring legal options to counter the recent dismissal of its appeal in the appellate tribunal of the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) to restore the recognition of 11 of its teacher education centres that offer B.Ed courses.

A senior official told The Hindu on Monday that the university was not given enough time to explain its case before the tribunal. One of the reasons for withdrawing the recognition in October 2021 was that a joint fixed deposit receipt (FDR) in the name of the institution and the NCTE had not been submitted. The official alleged that though the university had presented FDR documents, they were not considered. Other facts such as availability of its own buildings, infrastructure, and qualified staff as per NCTE norms too were not taken note of while rejecting the appeal, he pointed out.

The university is now planning to approach the Kerala High Court against the decision of the Southern Regional Committee (SRC) of the NCTE. The online hearing on the appeal was held on March 23, and the order was pronounced on April 18.

Sources said 50 students each were being admitted to the centres every year. If the recognition is not restored, the academic prospects of 550 students in each batch will be in peril, they added.

Meanwhile, the order of the appeal committee noted that B.Ed programmes were converted from one-year courses to two-year courses from the 2015-16 academic year. Revised recognition orders under the 2014 Regulations were issued in May-June. The committee said “despite giving ample opportunities, the university failed to fulfil the requirement of infrastructural and institutional facilities to be created in their centres for conducting B.Ed courses as per the 2014 Regulations.”

The university and the centres have been asked to discontinue further admissions, as the appellate authority justified the decision of the SRC. The centres which lost recognition are at Chakkittapara, Kallayi, and Vadakara in Kozhikode, Manjeri and Malappuram in Malappuram, Valappad, Aranattukara, and Chalakudy in Thrissur, Sulthan Bathery and Kaniyambetta in Wayanad, and Koduvayoor in Palakkad.