Gandhinagar, Oct 8 (IANS): The Gujarat government has raised the maximum age for admission to Pre-PTC (D.E.C.Ed.) colleges from 24 to 30 years and increased the number of seats per class from 50 to 62, while introducing reservations for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and persons with disabilities.
The reforms, announced for Pre-PTC colleges, also known as Bal Adhyapan Mandirs, are aimed at widening access to training for teachers in pre-primary education.
“The changes were announced under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, with Education Minister Pradyuman Vaja and Minister of State for Education, Rivaba Jadeja, overseeing the education portfolio,” officials asserted.
Under the revised framework, each class will have 62 seats, compared with the earlier sanctioned strength of 50, marking a 25 per cent increase.
Of these, 17 seats will be reserved for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) under the 27 per cent quota, four for Scheduled Castes under the seven per cent quota and nine for Scheduled Tribes under the 15 per cent quota.
The Open Category will have 26 seats, while six seats will be reserved for EWS candidates under the 10 per cent quota. The revised rules also provide five per cent reservation for persons with disabilities, in accordance with Section 32 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
The disability quota will be distributed among the prescribed disability categories. Candidates with disabilities will be selected on the basis of merit and their stated preference, subject to the requirement that their disability does not prevent them from performing duties associated with the teaching profession.
Candidates seeking admission must have secured at least 50 per cent marks in Class 12.
The eligibility requirement will apply to students who have passed Class 12 from the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board as well as recognised boards in Gujarat and other states, including CBSE and ICSE.
A five per cent relaxation in the minimum marks requirement will be available to candidates belonging to the SC, ST, SEBC and EWS categories, as well as persons with disabilities.
The government has also extended the maximum age limit from 24 to 30 years. A candidate must not be more than 30 years old as on July 1 of the relevant academic year.
Candidates belonging to SC, ST, SEBC and EWS categories, and persons with disabilities, will receive an additional five-year relaxation in the maximum age limit. The revised rules provide greater flexibility in the choice of medium of instruction.
Candidates can seek admission to an institution offering a medium in which they studied either in Class 10 or Class 12. If seats remain vacant in a particular medium, candidates who have studied another language in Class 10 and Class 12 may also seek admission in another medium, according to their preference.
The government said the changes would expand admission opportunities for candidates seeking professional training for pre-primary education while increasing the pool of trained personnel available to the sector.
