Shri Jairam,Announcing National environmental programme,

The Minister of State for Environment and Forests (Independent Charge), Shri Jairam Ramesh announcing the National Environmental Sciences Fellows Programme, in New Delhi on February 04, 2010.

The Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Shri Vijai Sharma is also seen. (Photo by PIB, No:CNR-30265)

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Amendment to the National Council for Teacher Education Act, 1993

Cabinet Decision:
(PIB NEWS) The Union Cabinet today approved a proposal from the Ministry of Human Resource Development to amend the National Council for Teacher Education Act, 1993 to clarify its applicability to matters relating to norms for minimum qualification for appointment of school teachers and clarify its applicability to schools and school teachers. The National Council for Teacher Education Act, 1993 came into force on 1st July 1995 with an objective to achieve planned and coordinated development of teacher education system in the country and ensure proper maintenance of norms & standards in the above system. The Act mandates the NCTE to lay down guidelines on minimum qualifications for a school teacher with a view to ensure uniform quality of teaching in the schools. The NCTE has framed regulations to discharge this function which are binding on all States in the matter of appointment of teachers. Recently it came to the notice of this Department that Supreme Court in the case of Basic Education Board, U.P. Vs. Upender Rai & others, held that NCTE Act does not deal with educational institutions like primary schools, etc and thus in the matter of laying minimum qualification for appointment as teachers, the NCTE Regulations will not be applicable, and the State Legislation/Rule on the subject will prevail. In the above judgement a Central Law was interpreted by the Supreme Court, but neither the NCTE nor the Union of India was impleaded in the case. A review Petition filed by NCTE in the Supreme Court was also not admitted. Therefore, a decision has been taken to amend the NCTE Act in order to clarify that the Act applies to schools, teachers and the NCTE is empowered to lay down the minimum qualifications for a person to be eligible as a teacher in schools.The National Council for Teacher Education (Amendment) Bill 2009 will be moved in Parliament for  consideration, ===============================================                                            

Group of Bharat Scouts & Guaides,at Rashtarpati Bhawan,

The President, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil with the group of contingent of Nasik Bharat Scouts & guides, at Rashtrapati Bhawan, in New Delhi on February 04, 2010. (Photo by PIB No:CNR-30251)

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PM meet to fineland PM

The Prime Minister of Finland, Mr. Matti Vanhanen calling on the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, in New Delhi on February 04, 2010.

(Photo by PIB No: CNR-30255)

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1,256 Under-trials released from the custody under mission mode programme to ease congestion in jails

(PIB NEWS) As part of the National Mission for Delivery of Justice and Legal Reforms started at the instance of the Dr. M.Veerappa Moily, Minister for Law and Justice, 1,256 under-trials have been released from the custody till now, it was decided to launch under the National Mission a Mission Mode Programme to reduce the number of cases of under-trials and to ease congestion in jails. The programme was launched on 26th January,2010. Number of prisoners released from the custody from the following States as given below:


S.No. State No. Of Prisoners Released
(1)     Punjab              164
(2)     Haryana         136
(3)     Chandigarh    2
(4)     Jharkhand     443
(5)     Delhi                45
(6)     Bombay        466
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