Bhubaneswar, Aug. 2: The state government has imposed a ban on offering private tuitions by teachers of government junior and degree colleges.

All the teachers will be required to give a written undertaking to their respective institutions stating that they will neither engage themselves in any kind of private tuitions or coaching institutes nor compel the students for taking such guidance.

"Any violation in this matter must be immediately reported to the department," read a higher education department directive sent out to all colleges across the state.

The department has also issued the Common Minimum Standard Guidelines for all institutions. According to the guidelines, it will be mandatory for a teacher to take 25 periods every week, and the timetables will be designed in such a way that all teachers have classes on all working days of the week.

"Sometimes, the teachers set their classes in such a way so that it requires them to come to the college only on selected days. On the remaining days, they bunk or take a half-day on the plea that they do not have classes. This directive will solve the problem," said principal of a premier junior college.

The duration of every period has been fixed at 45 minutes, while the practical classes will be of three periods with a maximum capacity of 32 students in Plus Two and 16 students in degree courses.

There will be at least four periods for each general subject every week.

"Earlier, there was no rule about the number of periods, its duration and so on. This is a welcome step by the department and will bring in a lot of clarity if followed by all the teachers," said Snigdha Jena, a junior college teacher.

The teachers have been directed to prepare lesson plan according to the syllabus and enter the progress in their "lesson plan-cum-progress register". Each teacher will maintain the register, and the lesson plan must be strictly followed. The principal will sign the progress register on the last working day of every month, the guidelines said.

The guidelines have also asked the authorities to strictly deal with students attending less than 75 per cent classes at the end of every month. These students must be identified and warned at the end of every month through a notice on the notice board specifying the percentage of attendance. The authorities will have to intimate the parents of such students by a post card message at the end of September and December each year.

"I have my coaching classes for JEE Main, and hence, may have to miss some classes here on some days. But, making the attendance compulsory means students would be more careful and adjust their coaching class timings accordingly," said Rimjhim Mallick, a Plus Two student.