Pottangi MLA urges govt to set up ITEP in Koraput | Bhubaneswar News
Koraput: Raising concerns over limited access to teacher training programmes in the tribal-dominated Koraput region, Pottangi MLA Ram Chandra Kadam has urged the state govt to introduce the integrated teacher education programme (ITEP) in govt colleges across Koraput, Rayagada, Nabarangpur and Malkangiri districts.In a memorandum submitted to chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday, the Congress legislator highlighted the lack of local representation in the region’s sole teacher education institute, DAV College of Teacher Education (CTE) in Koraput which currently offers a two-year B.Ed course. According to Kadam, nearly 80% of the seats are occupied by students from outside the district, depriving local tribal youth of opportunities to pursue a career in teaching.The memorandum underscored that the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 envisions ITEP as a game-changing initiative that integrates undergraduate studies (BA/BSc/BCom) with B.Ed. training over four years, aiming to produce high-quality educators.While several premier institutions across Odisha have already adopted ITEP, including BJB Autonomous College and Rajdhani College in Bhubaneswar, FM College in Balasore, MPC College in Baripada, GM University in Sambalpur, and SCS College in Puri, Koraput district remains excluded, the memorandum read.“A recent directive from the department of higher education listed new institutions set to implement ITEP from the 2026-27 academic session, such as Rourkela Autonomous College, Phulbani Autonomous College, Panchayat College Bargarh and Government Women’s College Sambalpur, yet no colleges from the Koraput region were included,” it added.“I request the state govt to consider launching ITEP on a pilot basis in one or more colleges in Koraput from the academic session of 2026-27,” Kadam said.He further emphasized that establishing ITEP in the region would not only empower local youths with professional teaching credentials but also contribute to long-term improvements in education quality across tribal communities. “This will serve as a cornerstone for educational equity and upliftment in south Odisha,” he added.
