Jaipur- The ambitious push for quality education under the National Education Policy (NEP) is hitting roadblocks in Rajasthan due to a glaring lack of coordination between central guidelines and state implementation. In a stark example, over 700 B.Ed colleges across the state are teetering on the brink of shutdown, leaving the career prospects of nearly two lakh aspiring teachers in jeopardy each year.

As per a report in Punjab Kesari, the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) has mandated a transformative shift for these institutions, requiring them to evolve into multi-disciplinary institutes by 2030, but the state government's reluctance to issue No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for general academic programs has thrown the sector into crisis.

Under the NEP framework, B.Ed colleges can no longer operate in isolation, focusing solely on teacher training courses. Instead, they must adopt the model of multi-disciplinary institutions, offering a broad spectrum of programs in fields such as science, engineering, sociology, arts, humanities, and more. This overhaul aims to foster integrated learning environments that align with modern educational needs, but it hinges on state approval for running general degree courses.

College operators have repeatedly approached the Higher Education Department seeking NOCs to comply, only to be rebuffed. The department cites a longstanding freeze on new private college affiliations, imposed by the College Education Commissionerate in 2022-23 and extended through 2024, to justify the denial, exacerbating the standoff.

The implications are dire: without these NOCs, B.Ed colleges risk losing NCTE recognition entirely by 2030, barring them from admitting students and effectively forcing closures. This would disrupt the educational pipeline for around two lakh candidates who enroll in B.Ed programs annually, many of whom rely on these qualifications to enter the teaching profession amid Rajasthan's growing demand for skilled educators. "The recognition cancellation is a ticking time bomb for the entire teacher education ecosystem," noted sources, highlighting how the policy's ground-level execution remains stalled despite NCTE's clear directives.

In response, College Education Commissioner Om Prakash Bairwa has acknowledged the guidelines, stating that NCTE holds the final say on institutional recognition. He revealed that a dedicated committee is actively reviewing the NEP provisions and has even recommended granting NOCs to B.Ed colleges for general academic operations. However, the proposal appears to be gathering dust, with no timeline for action. This bureaucratic inertia highlights broader challenges in Rajasthan's higher education landscape, where the proliferation of private B.Ed institutions now numbering over 700, has outpaced regulatory reforms, leading to quality concerns and oversaturation.