The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is expected to be granted deemed-to-be-university status soon, according to a report by ANI citing sources in the Ministry of Education.
The groundwork for the move has been completed, and the University Grants Commission (UGC) is set to hold a meeting to take a final decision. As per the ANI sources, an official update is likely by the end of the month.
“The preparation has been done. The UGC has to hold a meeting to make a decision on NCERT. We are hopeful that once the next meeting takes place, the update will come by the end of the month,” the sources said.
Deemed-to-be-university status is accorded to higher educational institutions that demonstrate excellence in a particular field of study. The status is granted on the recommendation of the UGC and with approval from the central government.
At present, there are around 145 deemed universities in India. The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, was the first institution to receive the status, while Tamil Nadu has the highest number of deemed universities in the country, according to the UGC’s official website.
Once the status is granted, NCERT will be empowered to award its own undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral degrees.
NCERT is an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Education and plays a key role in shaping school education in India through curriculum development, textbook publication, educational research and teacher training. With deemed-to-be-university status, the institution will be able to expand its in-house research programmes and function as a full-fledged research university, the ANI report said.
The move is expected to strengthen educational research and teacher education in the country, further enhancing NCERT’s role in the national education ecosystem.
