Patna: Uncertainty looms over admission in Patna Training College and Patna Women's Training College since the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) suspended their affiliation over inadequate teachers this month.

BEd courses offered by both the institutions are extremely popular. Last year, for 100 BEd seats at Patna Training College, 10,000 applications were received. The colleges usually start the admission procedure every March or April and examinations are held in May. After results are announced in June, the academic session starts in July.

But this year the colleges are unsure when they can start the admission process for the 2018-19 session after the NCTE suspended their affiliation about a fortnight ago. According to NCTE norms, each institution must have 15 teachers, but the colleges have only three - two at Patna Training College and one at Patna Women's Training College.

Patel Nagar resident Sujata Verma said: "Since the NCTE and state government made BEd mandatory for teaching jobs in schools, courses offered by the institutions are in demand. But suspension of affiliations is a setback for thousands of BEd aspirants."

Patna Training College teacher Sudhakar Singh said: "Few days ago we received a letter from NCTE stating that affiliation of Patna Training College has been suspended as we have only two teachers against the requirement for 15 teachers." He said the college has approached Patna University officials, including vice-chancellor Rash Bihari Prasad Singh, on several occasions over appointment of teachers. #The VC has expressed his helplessness in appointing teachers and even though the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) is conducting an appointment process, both the colleges would only get eight teachers out of it.

Sudhakar Singh said: "The BPSC teachers' appointment process is on but we don't know when it will be completed. Also there is requirement for 15 teachers each but Patna University will get eight teachers which have to be shared between Patna Training College, Patna Women's Training College and the MEd postgraduate department."

This is alarming because NCTE has mentioned in its lett er that ad hoc teachers or those not working on permanent basis would not be considered for assessing the actual teachers' strength of institutions.

Patna University's dean students' welfare N.K. Jha said: "The university is looking into the matter. The colleges will get teachers through the BPSC recruitment process. The university has also written letters to NCTE for relaxation."