BHAWANIPATNA: The absence of teaching staff at the College of Teacher Education (BEd college), Bhawanipatna has left the institution defunct since many years. The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) also withdrew recognition from the college in 2021.
Sources said the 100-seat college was taken over by the government in 1993-94 but was bereft of adequate staff and infrastructure. Despite functioning with only three teaching staff till 2020-21, no measures were taken to fill up the vacancies because of which the NCTE withdrew its official recognition the same year.
Later, after Higher Education department’s declaration to fill up 25 teaching staff posts, 13 assistant professors, one associate professor and a contractual lecturer were recruited in phases from June 2022 to February 2023. However, during the TNIE correspondent’s visit to the college on Monday, only non-teaching staff besides an assistant professor were present on duty.
Meanwhile, it has come to the fore that out of the newly-recruited teaching staff, only two assistant professors and one associate professor possess the requisite qualification of Masters degree with MEd. The rest candidates reportedly have BEd degrees only.
Ironically, three of them are deployed at Panchayat college in Bargarh, while the principal-cum-associate professor along with the contractual teacher have been sent to BEd college, Balangir. Though many teachers remain absent from service despite receiving regular services, no action has reportedly been taken by the higher authorities in this regard.
In-charge principal Garudadhwaj Barik said a fresh application has been sent to the NCTE to consider the college for recognition. “The recognition is most likely to be accorded in the upcoming academic session which is scheduled to start from July.”