Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar, as part of its new initiative towards creating outstanding teachers, has introduced a four-year B.Sc-B.Ed Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP) from the 2023-24 academic session.

The classes for the first batch of 50 students from different states of India commenced on Tuesday. The students were selected via the National Common Entrance Test (NCET) conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA).

“IIT Bhubaneswar is one of the two IITs (the other being IIT Kharagpur) to start the programme this year. The institute has offered the Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) with Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) in Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Economics. Students enrolled in this programme will complete their studies within a condensed timeframe of four years, unlike the conventional five-year duration mandated by the current B.Ed curriculum,” said a media release issued by IIT Bhubaneswar.

IIT Bhubaneswar director Prof. Shreepad Karmalkar, along with experts including former vice-chancellor of the Central University of Bihar, Prof. Harish Chandra Singh Rathore, and principal of Regional Institute of Education, Bhubaneswar, Prof. Prakash Chandra Agarwal, highlighted the unique features.

Prof. Karmalkar pointed out that ITEP students are the first batch who will have the privilege of undergoing their entire education in an active learning environment, which promotes communication, collaboration and critical thinking skills essential for success in any profession.

He also noted that the majority of ITEP students were women though there is no reservation for women in the programme.

Although the ITEP is optimised to create outstanding teachers, the students enrolled on this programme can also take up research and development careers. This course will provide the relevant degree, academic credits and knowledge to the students to pursue their higher studies in any of the international universities.

The ITEP is an initiative by the National Council for Teacher Education to ensure that outstanding students enter the teaching profession at the school level.