The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Madurai News : B.Ed course

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 09, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Madurai

B.Ed course

B.Ed course

Sir, — In the news item "College claim not true" ( The Hindu dated 04.02.05), the Madurai Kamaraj University clarified that a particular college was not affiliated to the university to conduct the B. Ed degree course. This is not an isolated incident. Many institutions issue misleading advertisements and conduct the course without getting approval from the university or the University Grants Commission.

The demand for the course is increasing every year, as it is a prerequisite for joining the teaching profession. It is more than five years since the UGC has clamped a ban on the B. Ed correspondence course, citing many B. Ed-qualified hands were without jobs. This is an unfortunate and unjustified decision of the UGC to deny the aspiring students to study a course.

After several representations, the Indira Gandhi National Open University was allowed to start the course with a mere 300 seats at all-India-level. This year, the Tamil Nadu Open University was given permission to conduct B. Ed correspondence course for a few hundred seats. Thousands of students applied, paying application fee of Rs. 500 each and a majority of these applications are likely to be rejected.

Is it fair on the part of the institutions to demand Rs. 500 from each applicant just for conducting an entrance test? Many poor students may not take the `risk.'

Every year, the UGC announces in newspapers a list of bogus universities and cautions the students. It is possible that many rural students may be joining such fake universities unknowingly, putting their future at risk. Will it not be possible for the UGC to ban such universities?

In the interest of the student community and the need to have qualified teachers, the UGC should lift the ban on conducting the B. Ed correspondence course and allow all recognised universities to launch the course.

T. Srinivasa Rengan,

Madurai.

Wrong parking

Sir, — Giving a graphic description of the traffic scene in the city, your reporter has pointed out various traffic violations in the "Reporter's Diary" column of The Hindu 24.01.05.

A location where wrong parking is commonplace is where the New Natham Road branches off from the Alagarkovil Road (near the Ambedkar Statue). This takes place mostly in front of a matriculation school and a vegetable shop. Here, two and four wheelers are haphazardly parked, taking up a good chunk of road space, hindering free flow of traffic.

As for pedestrians, they could cross the road only with some difficulty due to lack of a proper traffic regulation at that point.

This situation, therefore, needs to be looked at and remedial steps initiated.

V. Krishnamoorthy,

Madurai.

Do not ban

Sir, — This refers to one of the items in the "Letters to the Editor" column in The Hindu 25.01.05 — `Ban the sport.' `Jallikattu' (taming bull) is closely related to the life of villagers. It has been taking place for more than four centuries, right from the days of monarchy, when kings contributed valuables such as gold, land and even the hands of their daughters in marriage to the victors who tamed the bulls. In the olden days, bull tamers were respected in the society. It served as an arena to show one's valour to others.

Villagers believe that by conducting jallikattu, the village deity could be `pacified' so that people are spared from deadly contagious diseases. Nowadays, this traditional sport is attracting quite a few foreigners too. It is the place where culture and courage meet. Banning the sport is not an easy thing, as it is a sensitive issue.

Instead, the Government may arrange immediate medical assistance with the help of private hospitals on the spot and insurance companies can also introduce a special policy for bull tamers.

L. Baskar,

Madurai.

Coaching centre

Sir, — Now, there is only one Government Coaching Centre in Chennai for coaching students appearing for the All-India Services Examination, headed by a director. Aspirants from southern districts are forced to go to Chennai to avail themselves of the facility, which is anyway expensive too.

It will be of great help, if the Government, for helping poor and needy students from the southern districts, opens such a coaching centre in Madurai.

A.R. Moorthy,

Madurai

Electric post

Sir, — There is a precariously standing electric post waiting to fall at anytime near the Jeyaraj Nadar Higher Secondary School bus stop at Nagamalai. Since it is a school zone and where weekly `sandhai' takes place, authorities concerned must look into it before anything untoward happens.

T. Nagarajan,

Madurai.

Madurai.

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