Overview
- The Education Ministry’s notification dated Monday, March 30, declared NCERT and six constituent units a deemed university under Section 3 of the UGC Act.
- NCERT can now offer its own diploma, undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral degrees and start research programmes, with any new or off‑campus courses allowed only under UGC guidelines, and it is barred from profit-making activities.
- The institution must meet higher‑education norms that include NAAC and NBA accreditation, annual NIRF ranking participation and use of the Academic Bank of Credits, a digital system that lets students carry course credits across institutions.
- Regional Institutes of Education in Ajmer, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Mysuru and Shillong, plus the Bhopal vocational institute, will shift from state‑university affiliations to NCERT, which could streamline course approvals and create more uniform teacher training.
- Officials frame the move as aligned with NEP 2020 to build research capacity and strengthen teacher education, while some NCERT faculty warn the shift could dilute the body’s autonomy by placing academic decisions under UGC rules.