Taking a strong exception to the constitution of National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE) General Council, the president of Indian Association of Teacher Educators (IATE) has complained to the HRD Ministry that the council has been constituted in blatant violation of notified norms.

In its representation to the Ministry, the complainants — Prof PK Sahoo from Department of Education in the Allahabad University and president of IATE and Prof Anita Rastogi, general secretary of the association of the apex body in teacher education — have alleged that the members nominated by the HRD ministry to the General Council, notified via Gazette on May 1, 2013, do not fulfil the eligibility criteria to become members as per the prescribed norms in the NCTE Act.

The IATE has demanded action against those who had nominated members who do not fulfil the requisite qualification as per NCTE Act.“The executive body of IATE has demanded immediate intervention of the HRD Minister otherwise IATE shall be compelled to move to the court of law against illegal constitution of the NCTE General Council,” said Sahoo.

Through a notification in May 2013, the MHRD constituted NCTE General Council comprising Prof Krishna Kumar of NCERT, Prof Janaki Ranjan of Jamia Millia Islamia, Prof Padma Sarangapani of Institute of Social and Economic Changes, Bangalore, Prof Virginius Xaxa of TISS, Guwahati, Prof Poonam Batra of Delhi University, Prof Venetian Kaul, AUD and Alok Mathura of Rishikesh Valley School, Andhra Pradesh.

The body has demanded the Committee to be re-constituted as the members of IATE have been raising this point repeatedly at various forums for almost a year. “How can MHRD violate its own notified norms after vetting and passing through due process of lawIJ” the IATE asked.

Sources said that that HRD Secretary (School Education) Rajashri Bhattacharya, after noticing the lacuna, took a serious view and fixed responsibility on Amarjit Singh, the then Additional Secretary, HRD for recommending names without verification as to whether they meet the prescribed qualification and norms as per NCTE Act. Incidentally, Singh was the chairperson of NCTE during the period as well and a fortnight ago the senior bureaucrat was given marching orders from the MHRD.

Ministry sources said that Singh’s transfer became imminent after allegations of corruption in the northern regional committee (NRC) of NCTE following which the Ministry cancelled the extension to NCTE NRC head Ram Kishore last month. He was given extension without following the service norms and regulations.A senior HRD Ministry official said that NCTE has also failed to fulfil the promise of reforms made to the SC-appointed committee. A committee under late Justice JS Verma had suggested massive reforms in NCTE monitored by SC. It has also come to light that there is lack of coordination between the NCTE and the Ministry.