National Sensitization Workshop on Integrated Teacher Education Programme, National Mission for Mentoring, and National Professional Standards for Teachers Inaugurated

Greater Noida: On June 28, 2024, Sanjay Kumar, Secretary of the Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education, Government of India, inaugurated a two-day National Sensitization Workshop focusing on the Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP), National Mission for Mentoring (NMM), and National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST). The event was held at Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, and was organized by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) in collaboration with Gautam Buddha University.

The workshop, attended by over 300 participants, including educational administrators, teachers, teacher educators, heads of institutions, representatives from State/UT Governments, and policymakers from various apex bodies, aimed to sensitize attendees to the structure and implementation of ITEP, NMM, and NPST, with a special emphasis on Paragraphs 15.5, 15.11, and 5.20 of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

In his keynote address, Sanjay Kumar emphasized the crucial role of ITEP and the importance of teachers in shaping the nation’s future. Prof. Pankaj Arora, Chairperson of NCTE, welcomed the participants, setting the tone for the workshop. Kesang Y. Sherpa, Member Secretary of NCTE, provided an overview of the ITEP journey and its alignment with NEP 2020. The Vice-Chancellors, Prof. Shashikala Wanjari of NIEPA and Prof. Ravinder Kumar Sinha of Gautam Buddha University, elaborated on the detailed implementation of ITEP.

The workshop included technical sessions led by esteemed educators, Prof. Vandana Saxena and Prof. K. Ramachandran, who explored the themes “The Evolving Roles of Teachers” and “ITEP in Multidisciplinary Institutions in the Light of NEP 2020”.

The second day began with an inaugural address by Prof. Shashikala Wanjari, highlighting the necessity of NMM and NPST for the capacity building and professional development of in-service teachers. Kesang Y. Sherpa followed with a detailed presentation on NMM. Dr. Meena Rajiv Chandawarker, Chairperson of the Southern Regional Committee, NCTE, and Dr. Dibyajyoti Mahanta, Chairperson of the Eastern Regional Committee, NCTE, discussed the need for equipping teachers with 21st-century skills while contextualizing traditional teaching approaches.

Participants engaged in technical sessions led by Prof. Sharad Sinha, HoD of Teacher Education at NCERT, Prof. C.K. Saluja, Director of Samskrit Promotion Foundation, D.K. Chaturvedi, Convener of NPST, and Abhimanyu Yadav, Convener of NMM. These sessions provided an in-depth understanding of NMM and NPST, fostering interactive discussions on the implementation of these initiatives.

The workshop successfully facilitated the exchange of ideas and queries related to ITEP, NMM, and NPST, aiming to enhance the professional standards and capabilities of educators across the country.