IIT Council proposes to launch 4-yr BEd course in IITs

The IIT Council underlined the need for a robust grievance redressal system, increasing psychological counselling services, reducing pressure and highlighting the importance of reducing fear of failure among students.

The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) could launch four-year integrated BEd programmes in the future for which a proposal was discussed in the council meeting on Tuesday, The Indian Express reported. The other highlights of the meeting were talk on students welfare and taking steps to address student suicides at premier engineering institutions. 

The IIT council meeting, which was held after a gap of two years, was chaired by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Apart from IIT directors and chairpersons of governing bodies, senior officials of the Ministry of Education, University Grants Commission (UGC) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) attended the 55th meeting of the council at IIT Bhubaneswar. 

“The council discussed the proposals to introduce a four-year BEd Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP) programme in IITs. The minister emphasised that IITs can be torch bearers for bringing quality upgradation in teachers,” the a press release said. ITEP is a four-year dual-major undergraduate degree offering BA Bed/Bsc Bed and Bcom BEd. 

This course is supposed to prepare teachers for the four stages of the new school structure, i.e. Foundational, Preparatory, Middle and Secondary (5 3 3 4). Currently, it is being offered at teacher education institutions. But, the council is now proposing to introduce the same at IITs. 

At the meeting, factors behind student dropouts were also discussed and the minister asked the Council for a detailed report on the matter. The issue of suicide prevention was also discussed at the meeting. In March, two cases from IIT Madras and one from IIT Bombay were reported, bringing the focus back to the mental health of students.  

“IIT Gandhinagar Director presented the possible underlying societal, psychological and other health issues behind depression among students. The Council underlined the need for a robust grievance redressal system, increasing psychological counselling services, reducing pressure and highlighting the importance of reducing fear of failure/rejection among students,” the press release said. 

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