In a landmark shift for India's educational landscape, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is on the verge of transforming into a full-fledged deemed university. According to sources cited by ANI, the formal approval from the University Grants Commission (UGC) is anticipated by the end of January 2024.
From Textbook Authority to Degree-Granting University
The proposal to grant NCERT deemed-to-be-university status has been in the works for some time. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan first announced the plan in 2023, envisioning a research-focused institution capable of global collaboration. The groundwork is now complete, and the UGC is expected to take the final decision in an upcoming meeting. A source stated, "The preparation has been done. The UGC has to hold a meeting to make a decision. We are hopeful that once the next meeting takes place, the update will come by the end of the month."
Currently, NCERT operates as an autonomous body under the Ministry of Education. Its core mandate revolves around school education: designing national curricula, publishing textbooks for central and state boards, conducting research, and training teachers. However, despite its profound influence, NCERT cannot award degrees or run independent postgraduate programs. Its authority stems from policy, not academic accreditation.
What Deemed University Status Will Bring
In India, a deemed university is a special category of institution recognized by the UGC under the UGC Act, 1956, for its excellence in a specific academic area. There are approximately 145 deemed universities in the country, with the Indian Institute of Science being the first in 1958. This status grants full academic autonomy, allowing institutions to design their own courses, set curricula, establish admission criteria, and crucially, award their own degrees at undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels.
For NCERT, this change will be transformative. It will empower the council to launch expanded in-house research initiatives and formally enter the domain of higher education and doctoral training. NCERT will be able to confer its own degrees, merging curriculum design authority with degree-granting power under one roof—a significant departure from the traditional separation of these functions in Indian education.
Anchored in School Education, Expanding Horizons
Interestingly, this expansion is not expected to detach NCERT from its foundational role. Reports indicate that funding will continue primarily from the Department of School Education and Literacy. This suggests that NCERT's new academic ventures will remain anchored within the school education framework, ensuring its research and higher education programs are informed by and feed back into school-level needs.
The move aligns with the broader vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which emphasizes research-driven institutions and vertical integration across different stages of learning. By becoming a deemed university, NCERT can more actively contribute to the international education ecosystem while strengthening the research backbone of India's school system.
The final step now rests with the UGC's formal nod, followed by approval from the Central Government. If granted, this status will permanently redefine NCERT's role, allowing it to directly produce academic research and graduates, thereby influencing education policy from the classroom to the highest levels of academia.
