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NCERT to Launch Postgraduate and Doctoral Programs in Education

NCERT, now a deemed university, plans to introduce postgraduate and doctoral research programs in education soon. The move comes after the Ministry of Education declared NCERT an "Institution deemed to be University" in April 2026. The proposed programs will focus on teacher education, curriculum studies, and educational technology. Despite gaining autonomy, NCERT will remain under UGC and NAAC regulatory compliance.

Key Points: NCERT Plans PG, PhD Programs in Education Soon

  • NCERT plans to launch MA, postgraduate, and doctoral programs in education
  • Move follows NCERT being declared a deemed university in April 2026
  • Programs will focus on teacher education, curriculum studies, and EdTech
  • NCERT will remain under UGC and NAAC regulatory framework
2 min read

NCERT plans to launch postgraduate, doctoral programmes in education soon

NCERT, now a deemed university, plans to introduce MA, postgraduate, and doctoral research programs in education, focusing on teacher training and EdTech.

"They will start MA courses, postgraduate courses and doctoral research in education. - Ministry of Education Official"

By Vishu Adhana, New Delhi, May 8

The National Council of Educational Research and Training, which is now a deemed university, is planning to introduce postgraduate and doctoral research programmes in education soon, officials in the Ministry of Education confirmed.

The NCERT is an autonomous body responsible for developing school curricula, textbooks and educational research in India.

"They will start MA courses, postgraduate courses and doctoral research in education," an official said.

The official did not give any timeline for the proposed courses; however, they confirmed that work is underway to start these programmes.

The move comes weeks after the Ministry of Education, in April 2026, declared NCERT an "Institution deemed to be University" under the "distinct category", allowing the institution to award its own undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral degrees with a focus on teacher education and school education research.

With the new status, NCERT will now be able to design its own curriculum, prescribe academic standards and confer degrees, expanding its role beyond textbook development and educational research.

Officials said the deemed university status has been granted under the "distinct category" in recognition of NCERT's contribution to national education research, teacher training and curriculum development.

The status will also extend to NCERT's six Regional Institutes of Education (RIEs) located across the country.

Sources said the proposed programmes are expected to focus on areas such as teacher education, curriculum studies and educational technology (EdTech).

Despite the autonomy, NCERT will continue to remain under the regulatory framework of the University Grants Commission (UGC), including compliance with accreditation norms laid down by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Honestly, I'm a bit skeptical. NCERT is great at what it does now—setting standards for school textbooks and curriculum. But becoming a university means they'll have to maintain NAAC accreditation, UGC regulations, and all that bureaucratic red tape. Will this distract from their core mission? I hope they don't lose focus on improving school education quality while chasing university rankings.
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Kavya N
MashaAllah, this is long overdue! With India's massive teacher shortage and the need for quality educators, having an institution like NCERT offer its own degrees can standardize teacher education. But I worry about the timeline—the official didn't even give a date. We've seen many government initiatives taking years to implement. Let's hope they move fast, especially for the six RIEs across states.
D
Deepak U
This is good news for educational research in India. Currently, most PhDs in education come from general universities where faculty may not have deep expertise in school-level pedagogy. NCERT's focus on teacher education, curriculum studies, and educational technology could be a game-changer. Just ensure they have enough qualified faculty to run these programmes—don't want it to become a degree mill situation.
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Siddharth J
Finally! As a teacher, I've always felt that NCERT's textbooks are excellent, but the institution doesn't have enough direct involvement in teacher education. Introducing MA and PhD programmes means they can train future teacher educators who understand Indian classrooms intimately. The "distinct category" tag is smart—it recognizes their unique role without forcing them into a standard university mold. 🙌
R
Rekha R

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