NCERT gets status of deemed university, can now award degrees

NCERT gets status of deemed university: Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced on Friday that the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has been conferred university status. The announcement was made during his address on the 63rd anniversary of the Council’s founding. Deemed-to-be-university status is awarded to colleges and universities that excel in particular fields of study.

It will now be able to confer its own bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, thereby expanding its influence over India’s educational landscape.

NCERT gets deemed university status, says education minister Dharmendra Pradhan

“NCERT has been granted deemed-to-be university status. It has established a formidable presence in research, actively shaped school education, teacher preparation, and adult literacy, and is a leader in adult literacy. NCERT’s transformation into a research university will facilitate global collaborations, according to Pradhan.

As the apex body for school education, the NCERT engages in a variety of activities and programmes, such as educational research and innovation, curriculum development, and the creation of textual and teaching-learning materials.

Pradhan advocated for the incorporation of Bal Bhavans and Bal Vatikas into NCERT, envisioning a comprehensive educational strategy geared at providing children with a holistic education.

NCERT has been granted deemed-to-be-university status in the ‘de novo’ category, which allows it to submit to UGC for establishing a new institution as a deemed-to-be-university for conducting study and research in emerging areas of knowledge that are not offered by existing institutions. In addition to conferring degrees on educators, it will determine which courses to offer.

Pradhan proposed establishing augmented reality, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence laboratories at regional NCERT centres.