The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is likely to be granted deemed-to-be-university status by the end of January, sources in the Ministry of Education have told ANI.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
Sources said that all preparations for granting the status have been completed. The final decision will be taken by the University Grants Commission (UGC) in its upcoming meeting. Officials are hopeful that once the meeting takes place, the decision will be announced before the end of the month.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had announced plans in 2023 to transform NCERT into a deemed university. He said this change would help NCERT grow into a research-focused institution, open doors for global partnerships, and strengthen its contribution to education worldwide.
NCERT is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Education. It plays a key role in improving school education in India through curriculum design, textbook publishing, educational research, and teacher training.
Once it receives deemed university status, NCERT will be able to run advanced in-house research programmes and work as a full research university. It will mainly be funded by the Department of School Education and Literacy under the Ministry of Education.
In India, universities are recognised by the UGC under the UGC Act, 1956. Deemed-to-be-university status is given to institutions that show excellence in a particular field, based on UGC advice and approval by the Central Government.
At present, around 145 institutions in India have deemed university status. The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) was the first to receive this status in 1958, while Tamil Nadu has the highest number of such universities.
Institutions with this status enjoy full academic freedom. They can design courses, set admission rules, fix fees, and award their own undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral degrees.
With this move, NCERT’s role in India’s higher education and research system is expected to grow significantly.
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