BEd course to be of two-year duration from 2015 session

Tribune News Service

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Amritsar, March 18

Adopting the notification of National Council for Teachers Education (NCTE), Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) today announced that regular BEd course would now be of two years duration from 2015 session. Earlier, this course was of one year.

This decision was taken during the Senate and Syndicate meetings here today. An estimated budget of Rs338.35 crore for the year 2015-16 with a deficit of Rs76.56 crore was also approved during the meeting.

GNDU registrar, Prof Sharanjit Singh Dhillon said the NCTE’s decision to increase the Bed course duration had been implemented from the upcoming session officially.

BEd is a professional course that prepares teachers for the upper primary or middle level (Class VI to VIII), secondary level (Class IX and X) and higher secondary level (Class X to XII). It can be completed in a maximum period of three years from the date of admission.

The GNDU will also start a new Department of Tourism and Hospitality course from the upcoming academic 2015-16 session. It will also establish a chair for the study of the Ghadar Movement for the period of next five years to study the contribution of freedom fighters so that their saga reaches the general masses.

It was also decided in the meeting that no financial burden shall be imposed on students this year also. “For the last three year no fee hike has been imposed. This year also the fee structure will remain the same. The deficit will be met by keeping control on its expenditure,” said Prof Brar, who presided over both the meetings.

The tuition fee and funds for admission (2015-16) in professional courses being offered at rural campuses of Guru Nanak Dev University will be reduced by 30 per cent. This will be applicable to Guru Nanak Dev University Regional Campus, Sathiala and Regional Campus Fattu Dhinga, Sultanpur Lodhi, for the students of first semester of academic session 2015-16.

The GNDU will receive a maintenance grant of Rs 35.5 crore from the Punjab Government and Rs 171.5 crore will be raised by the university from its own sources. Of the total budget, 52.34 per cent will be spent on teaching, applied teaching, research and improvement of education.

During financial year 2014-15, the GNDU had spent Rs5.8 crore to help the economically backward and intelligent students. Scholarship worth Rs 16.58 lakh were given to handicapped students.

Special scholarships and facilities like finance were also provided to sports personal and student-artists to encourage them to participate in cultural and sports activities.