4 min readUpdated: Apr 2, 2026 05:28 PM IST
Nearly three years after the Union government signalled its intent to expand its mandate, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has been formally declared an institution “deemed to be university,” marking a structural shift in the role of the country’s apex school education body, The Indian Express has learnt.
The new status significantly expands NCERT’s mandate beyond school curriculum design, enabling the body to launch academic programmes, including doctoral and innovative courses.
The move, however, strikes at the heart of an earlier internal controversy within the NCERT where faculty had warned that such a transition could dilute its autonomy.As reported byThe Indian Expressin 2022, an assistant professor had written to the director cautioning that “by deciding to grant ‘Deemed to be University’ status to NCERT, all we are trying to do is surrender our academic autonomy to the UGC,” arguing that the shift could weaken NCERT’s position as the country’s primary authority on school education.
A notification issued by the Ministry of Education on Monday (March 30), declares NCERT, along with its six constituent units, as an institution deemed to be university under a “distinct category,” under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission (UGC) Act, 1956. “The Ministry of Education, on the advice of the UGC, hereby declares National Council of Educational Research and Training… consisting of… six constituent units as an Institution deemed to be University under distinct category,” it states.
These constituent units include regional institutes of education in Ajmer, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Mysuru and Shillong, along with the Pandit Sunderlal Sharma Central Institute of Vocational Education in Bhopal.
The declaration follows a multi-stage process that began with NCERT’s application on the UGC portal, followed by a Letter of Intent issued in August 2023. According to the notification, the institution submitted a compliance report in November 2025, which was accepted by the UGC’s expert committee and approved during its 595th meeting on January 30 this year.
What does the new status mean for the school education body?
The notification mandates that NCERT “shall take appropriate steps to commence research programmes as well as doctoral and innovative academic programmes”.
Story continues below this ad
It also brings NCERT squarely within the regulatory ambit of the UGC, a key concern raised by critics earlier. The notification makes clear that “the academic programmes to be offered at NCERT… shall conform to the norms and standards prescribed by the UGC,” and that any new courses or off-campus centres must follow UGC guidelines.
Further, NCERT is barred from commercial activity, with the notification stating it “shall not engage or indulge in any activities that are of commercial and profit making in nature”.
The institution will also be required to align itself with broader higher education frameworks, including participation in national rankings and accreditation systems. It “shall participate in annual Indian rankings issued by National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF)” and seek accreditation from bodies such as NAAC and NBA, said the notification.
Story continues below this ad
NCERT will also have to implement mechanisms typical of higher education institutions, including the Academic Bank of Credits. The notification mandates that it “shall compulsorily create Academic Bank of Credits (ABC)… and upload their credit score in digital lockers.”
The development comes after an earlier proposal to grant NCERT the status of an “institution of national importance” appears to have been set aside, with the government instead pursuing the deemed university route.
When the proposal was first announced in 2023, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had said the move would help NCERT evolve into a research-driven institution and expand its global academic engagement.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
