Covid impact: BEd admissions unlikely before August

Coronavirus pandemic has not only taken its toll on college exams but has also hit the admission process badly.

This year, the admissions in all the courses, including BEd programme, is going to be late.

While the Supreme Court in its ruling in 2012 had fixed a schedule for admissions and commencement of new session for BEd courses, it won’t be possible for state government and institutions to adhere to the timeline set by the apex court this year given the present situation arisen due to coronavirus outbreak.

As per the apex court’s schedule, the admissions process for BEd course have to be completed in June and classes be started from July.

But the coronavirus has derailed everything this year.

So far, the exams for final year of undergraduate courses have not been conducted. Until, the exams for UG final year is conducted and results are announced, there won’t be students for admission in BEd courses as eligibility for the two-year course is graduation.

On Monday, the Raj Bhawan had given a window from June 29 to July 31 for state universities for conduct of UG final year exams.

“After the UG exams are conducted and results are declared, the admission process can start in BEd colleges,” said Matushree Education College chairman Rambabu Sharma.

He stated that the results UG final year exams results may come in August so the admission process for BEd course can be started in September.

Asked if provisionally admissions can be conducted in BEd colleges, Sharma stated that they would oppose any such move.

“The colleges will have to suffer losses if students admitted provisionally failed to clear qualifying exam with at least 50 per cent marks which is minimum eligibility criteria. So we will push for admissions only when results of UG final exams are out,” he added.

If that happens, the admissions process for BEd courses will be held either in August or September.