In a major setback to the University of Jammu (JU), the Bachelor of Physical Education (B P Ed) and Master of Physical Education (M P Ed) courses at its Directorate of Sports and Physical Education have been refused recognition by the Regulatory body National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).
It is after the Letter of Permission of the Vaishno Devi medical college in Katra was cancelled by the National Medical Commission that another jolt has come to the education sector of Jammu division.
As per a report in Daily Excelsior, the decision to refuse the recognition was taken by the Northern Regional Committee of NCTE during its 454th meeting (Volume-I), held recently.
Surprisingly, the NCTE has granted recognition to the same courses of the University of Kashmir from the academic session 2026-27, putting the authorities of the Jammu University in an embarrassing situation.
As per the report, the Northern Regional Committee of the NCTE refused the recognition to the JU for the said courses after examining the online file of the institution along with related documents under the provisions of the NCTE Act, 1993, NCTE Rules, 1997 and NCTE Regulations, 2014.
The NRC observed that the Jammu University has been offering B P Ed and M P Ed programmes on self-finance mode, but was not paying the required processing fee to NCTE
The report suggested that the Jammu University informed the committee that no processing fee had been paid as both programmes were initiated in 2004 and 2007 respectively, during a period when the JU was outside the purview of NCTE due to the special constitutional position of Jammu and Kashmir prior to 2019.
However, the Committee did not accept the plea and also pointed out deficiencies in faculty appointments.
Sources pointed out that a senior faculty member from non-physical education background was at the helm of affairs at the Directorate of Sports and Physical Education.