The  Academic Council of the Bangalore University, which reviewed the report of the high-level committee on BEd colleges, has allowed renewal of affiliation of only 14 colleges. The panel, which had inspected 37 BEd colleges, had recommended affiliation of 29 of these colleges.

However, the council members wondered whether the report would put an end to the string of inquiry committees of BEd colleges. They questioned the objectivity of the report owing to lack of prescribed procedure for assessing colleges on the part of Bangalore University. They complained that there would be no end to the issue as long as the university did not come up with a scientific methodology for assessment of colleges.

The committee, comprising former vice chancellors and education experts, inspected all controversial BEd colleges affiliated to the university in August this year. In the past two years, multiple committees have submitted various reports on the status of BEd colleges of Bangalore University, none of which have been implemented.

Academic Council member Karan Kumar, who heads the Task Force on BEd colleges, observed that the report contradicted its own recommendations. While some colleges were recommended for renewal of affiliation in spite of crucial infrastructure missing, other colleges with the same kind of infrastructure were not recommended for affiliation, he pointed out.

The Academic Council decided that it would permit affiliation of only those colleges that had at least 50 per cent compliance to National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE) norms. University Vice Chancellor Thimme Gowda said local inquiry committees would inspect all the 14 colleges falling under 50 per cent compliance category, subject to which the final status of affiliation of these colleges would be decided.

Nod for multiple courses

The university has decided to accord permission to students to pursue two courses simultaneously. This decision was taken to enable students gain knowledge about subjects in other streams as well. This way, arts students could learn about science subjects and science students could get exposed to arts stream.

Students could also pursue a course in allied subjects of their combination. It was decided that pursuing simultaneous courses would be allowed as long as the other course is part time or through distance education. Students from other universities also will be able to pursue courses at BU through distance mode.

Further, the university is mulling over allowing students who have not completed their course in previous years to write exams now. The Vice Chancellor said they were likely to consider students of the last 10 years and permit them to complete their courses by writing the exam. The details of this proposal would be worked out by a nine-member standing appeals committee.