Though protests and agitations are common in universities, they don’t always prevent  universities from functioning. At the most, classes will be suspended for a while. But, from April 18 onwards, the Central University of South Bihar (CUSB) in Gaya had a total and complete shut down as the entire student community, faculties and non-teaching staff came out in support of 14 students who were on a hunger strike. The reason? A valid degree certificate.

This is a story of 90 CUSB students whose four year degree programs have been declared illegal by the accreditation authority. The fact that a large number of students, including myself, are about to pass out in this May with invalid degrees, that too from a Central University, is especially hard to accept. The indifference of our university and the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD)  on this issue forced us to go on hunger strike last week. Our case is a perfect example for how one arm of the government fights another arm and students pay for this quarrel.

What is it all about?

In 2012, the MHRD passed an order in the light of recommendations made by JS Verma Commission to integrate teacher training program (B.Ed) with regular graduation courses. This recommendation was made to increase the efficiency of teacher training programs and to prevent private colleges from engaging in fraud. Followed by this order, CUSB floated two new courses including B.Sc B.Ed and B.A. B.Ed in 2013 which we are enrolled in.

Since MHRD had ordered the various universities to start these courses, varsity thought that it shouldn’t be a difficult task to get these courses approved by National Council for Teacher Training (NCTE), a statutory body that oversees standards and procedures in all teacher education programs. At the same time, NCTE hadn’t updated its website with a column for these innovative courses in 2013, hence varsity failed to submit an online application to NCTE for getting recognition for these courses. Considering this a minor technical glitch, university officials assumed that NCTE, which functions under MHRD, will provide recognition to our courses as they have been designed under the orders of MHRD.

After two batches of students enrolled in the integrated B.Ed course in 2013 and 2014, NCTE declared our courses as ‘illegal’ in a public notice published on its website. Surprised by this move, the university wrote to MHRD seeking immediate intervention.

When contacted, NCTE refused to approve our course owing to legal and technical limitations. It stated that it could only recognise courses before they began as there is no provision for retrospective recognition. As a result, the future of students who are enrolled in these unrecognized courses have been put at stake. We are unable to apply for jobs as we don’t have a valid degree. What is even more distressing is that neither the university nor the HRD ministry have been serious on this issue that involves the lives of nearly hundred students. Later, NCTE stated that the B.Ed courses of students who joined from 2015 onwards are valid. But the first two batches of the program, ie 2013 and 2014, will remain invalid.

What is the way out?

Amending the NCTE act and making retrospective recognition for courses applicable is the only solution for this issue. But it is something beyond the capacity of university and lies in the hands of the central government. Apart from sending letters to Vice Chancellor, MHRD and even to the President of India, there doesn’t seem to be any alternative.

In wake of the hunger strike, what we demand now is a direct communication with MHRD. The ministry should send its representatives to communicate with us and give an assurance of getting recognition from NCTE. There is stress and hopelessness all around but there is no official response from MGRD so far.

University takes the ‘responsibility’

We ended our hunger strike on Friday night after a written assurance from university that it would provide us valid degrees and in case it is unable to, varsity will take absolute responsibility for required legal actions. However, it is clear that the only solution lies in amending the NCTE act and that is something beyond the capacity of our university. We request Prakash Javadekar, the HRD minister, to intervene and solve the issue immediately which will otherwise ruin our careers.