The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has been granted deemed-to-be university status by the Centre, a move that will allow the apex education body to award its own degrees and significantly expand its academic and research footprint.

The decision was approved by the Ministry of Education on the recommendation of the University Grants Commission (UGC), bringing NCERT and its six constituent institutions under the new framework.

These include the Regional Institutes of Education (RIEs) located in Ajmer, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Mysuru and Shillong, along with the Pandit Sunderlal Sharma Central Institute of Vocational Education in Bhopal.

According to the Ministry, an online application seeking “institution deemed to be university” status under a distinct category was submitted on the UGC portal and subsequently approved after evaluation by an expert committee.

NCERT has been recognized under the ‘De Novo’ category — a classification reserved for institutions engaged in pioneering study and research in emerging and specialised fields not widely offered elsewhere. The Centre had cleared this status in principle nearly three years ago.

With the new designation, NCERT has been directed to initiate research programmes, including doctoral-level courses, and develop innovative academic offerings in line with evolving educational needs.

At present, programmes offered by NCERT’s RIEs are affiliated with universities such as Barkatullah University, Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati University, University of Mysore, Utkal University and North-Eastern Hill University. The deemed university status is expected to end this dependency, granting NCERT full academic autonomy.