NCERT officially becomes deemed-to-be-university; apex body now empowered to award degrees

New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Education has formally notified the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) as a "deemed-to-be-university" under the distinct category, granting the 63-year-old apex body the authority to award its own degrees.

The notification, issued March 30, 2026, completes a transition first proposed by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan during the council’s foundation day in September 2023. This new status transforms the organisation from an advisory and curriculum-design body into a full-fledged research university, The Indian Express reports.

Under the new designation, NCERT and its constituent units can now offer and grant graduate, post-graduate, and doctoral degrees. Previously, NCERT’s Regional Institutes of Education (RIEs) were required to affiliate with local state universities to provide degree-granting programs for students.

The deemed university status extends to all six constituent units of NCERT, including the Regional Institutes of Education in Ajmer, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Mysuru, and Shillong, as well as the Pandit Sunderlal Sharma Central Institute of Vocational Education in Bhopal.

As a deemed university, NCERT will now fall under the regulatory purview of the University Grants Commission (UGC). The council is mandated to implement the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) and will be required to participate in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF).

Officials noted that while the council gains significant academic and administrative autonomy, it must remain a non-profit entity. The transition is expected to streamline the development of new educational frameworks and specialised teacher-training programs across India.

NCERT was established in 1961 to assist and advise the Central and State Governments on policies and programs for qualitative improvement in school education.