The Democratic Students' Alliance of Manipur (DESAM) has demanded the authority concerned to take a cabinet decision for implementation of Integrated Teacher Education Programme within the first phase of session 2019-2023.

DESAM has been demanding the state government to open the four year integrated teachers education programme from the past many years, stated a release. Though the state government has assured several times that the demand shall be fulfilled, the state was not enlisted when the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) announced the opening of ITEP in the country from 2019-2023 as the first phase of the session.

The main reason the state has not been enlisted yet is lack of initiative by the authority concerned as they failed to respond to the proposal sent by NCTE, it added.

It continued that for successful implementation of National education policy that was passed recently, there is a requirement of opening ITEP at earliest in the state. As such, the state government should take cabinet decisions in this regard within five days, DESAM stated.

The release warned that DESAM will close down the administration block of DM College of Teacher Education (DMCTE), Government Hindi Teachers' Training College (HTTC) and office of the directorate of Higher and Technical Education if authority concerned fails to fulfil the demand.

The student body also demanded to appoint a regular principal of DMCTE and HTTC but for time being, director of Higher and Technical Education should be nominated as interim caretaker of the said institutions, it added.

The release stated that even before implementation of ITEP in the state despite repeated demands, NCTE issued a notification to remove B. Ed course from DMCTE and to derecognise HTTC. Such a decision gives a lot of setback to the student body, it added.

The main reason to remove B. Ed from DMCTE is the lack of qualified principal and failing to fulfil the criteria of NCTE. To save the institution from being derecognised or removing courses, the state government should take up appropriate action, it stated while appealing to appoint a regular principal.