NCERT may get deemed university status by January-end after UGC nod

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan says NCERT's transition will boost research and global collaboration as India shifts focus from degrees to skills-based education

Two years after its initial announcement, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) may get deemed university status by the end of January, according to people in the know.

 

“The groundwork for granting the status has been completed, and a final confirmation is expected in the next 15 to 20 days after a meeting with the University Grants Commission (UGC),” the education ministry officials said.

 

First announced in 2023 by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the deemed-to-be-university status was to be given under the ‘de-novo’ category.

 

According to UGC guidelines, a de-novo institution focusses on teaching and research in unique and ‘emerging areas of knowledge’ determined by the Commission after a due process.

 

“NCERT, on becoming a research university, will offer opportunities for global collaborations and contributions to the global educational landscape,” Pradhan had said at the time of the announcement.

 

In a bid to move beyond traditional forms of education, Pradhan told reporters that the time has come for India to emphasise on a system based on skills, entrepreneurship, and apprenticeship.

 

“The goal of today’s education should not only be to provide youth with degrees, but also to empower them with practical competence and self-reliance. For a long time, education in India was limited to books and exams, but in changing times, the industry needs young people with real work skills,” he said.

 

Pradhan added that the government is also planning to introduce artificial intelligence into teacher’s training, in a bid to align with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020’s emphasis on technology in education.

 

“The new Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adishthan will also give us an opportunity to upgrade teacher’s training curricula by making new standards for institutes under the National Council for Teacher Education,” officials said.