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.

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), 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).

Published on May 8, 2026