NCERT gets deemed university status, says education minister Dharmendra Pradhan

Dharmendra Pradhan, minister of education for India, announced on Friday that the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has been conferred university status. This was announced by Pradhan at the 63rd NCERT Foundation Day Celebration Programme in New Delhi.

“Today, I am pleased to announce that NCERT has been granted deemed university status,” he said.

As the leading organization for school education, the NCERT engages in numerous activities and initiatives, such as educational research and innovation, curriculum development, and the creation of textual and teaching-learning materials.
The minister of education also advocated for the merger of Bal Vatika and Bal Bhavans with the NCERT in order to “provide holistic education for children.”

The NCERT was established in 1961 under the Society Act for the primary purpose of advising the government on matters pertaining to school education.

Institutions with ‘deemed-to-be-university’ status enjoy the academic standing and privileges of a university.
NCERT will offer its own graduate, postgraduate, and doctoral degrees as a de facto university.

In addition, Pradhan inaugurated three laboratories, including one on teacher training and another on virtual reality education.