NCERT has been granted deemed university status under the UGC framework, marking a major shift in its role. (Image via ncert.nic.in)Nearly three years after the Union government signalled its intent to expand its mandate, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has been formally declared an institution “deemed to be university,” marking a structural shift in the role of the country’s apex school education body, The Indian Express has learnt.A notification issued by the Ministry of Education on Monday (March 30), declares NCERT, along with its six constituent units, as an institution deemed to be university under a “distinct category,” under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission (UGC) Act, 1956.The notification states: “The Ministry of Education, on the advice of the UGC, hereby declares National Council of Educational Research and Training… consisting of… six constituent units as an Institution deemed to be University under distinct category.”These constituent units include regional institutes of education in Ajmer, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Mysuru and Shillong, along with the Pandit Sunderlal Sharma Central Institute of Vocational Education in Bhopal.The move, however, strikes at the heart of an earlier internal controversy within the NCERT where faculty had warned that such a transition could dilute its autonomy.As reported by The Indian Express in 2022, an assistant professor had written to the director cautioning that “by deciding to grant ‘Deemed to be University’ status to NCERT, all we are trying to do is surrender our academic autonomy to the UGC,” arguing that the shift could weaken NCERT’s position as the country’s primary authority on school education.The declaration follows a multi-stage process that began with NCERT’s application on the UGC portal, followed by a Letter of Intent issued in August 2023.Story continues below this adAccording to the notification, the institution submitted a compliance report in November 2025, which was accepted by the UGC’s expert committee and approved during its 595th meeting on January 30 this year.The new status significantly expands NCERT’s mandate beyond school curriculum design. It enables the body to launch academic programmes, including doctoral and innovative courses. The notification also mandates that it “shall take appropriate steps to commence research programmes as well as doctoral and innovative academic programmes”.At the same time, the transition brings NCERT squarely within the regulatory ambit of the UGC, a key concern raised by critics earlier. The notification makes clear that “the academic programmes to be offered at NCERT… shall conform to the norms and standards prescribed by the UGC,” and that any new courses or off-campus centres must follow UGC guidelines.Further, NCERT is barred from commercial activity, with the notification stating it “shall not engage or indulge in any activities that are of commercial and profit making in nature”.Story continues below this adAlso Read | Before ‘corruption in judiciary’, the 15 instances where NCERT textbook revisions went unchallengedThe institution will also be required to align itself with broader higher education frameworks, including participation in national rankings and accreditation systems. It “shall participate in annual Indian rankings issued by National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF)” and seek accreditation from bodies such as NAAC and NBA, said the notification.NCERT will also have to implement mechanisms typical of higher education institutions, including the Academic Bank of Credits. The notification mandates that it “shall compulsorily create Academic Bank of Credits (ABC)… and upload their credit score in digital lockers.”The development comes after an earlier proposal to grant NCERT the status of an “institution of national importance” appears to have been set aside, with the government instead pursuing the deemed university route.Story continues below this adWhen the proposal was first announced in 2023, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had said the move would help NCERT evolve into a research-driven institution and expand its global academic engagement.Vidheesha Kuntamalla is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in New Delhi. She is known for her investigative reporting on higher education policy, international student immigration, and academic freedom on university campuses. Her work consistently connects policy decisions with lived realities, foregrounding how administrative actions, political pressure, and global shifts affect students, faculty, and institutions. Professional Profile Core Beat: Vidheesha covers education in Delhi and nationally, reporting on major public institutions including the University of Delhi (DU), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Jamia Millia Islamia, the IITs, and the IIMs. She also reports extensively on private and government schools in the National Capital Region. Prior to joining The Indian Express, she worked as a freelance journalist in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for over a year, covering politics, rural issues, women-centric issues, and social justice. Specialisation: She has developed a strong niche in reporting on the Indian student diaspora, particularly the challenges faced by Indian students and H-1B holders in the United States. Her work examines how geopolitical shifts, immigration policy changes, and campus politics impact global education mobility. She has also reported widely on: * Mental health crises and student suicides at IITs * Policy responses to campus mental health * Academic freedom and institutional clampdowns at JNU, South Asian University (SAU), and Delhi University * Curriculum and syllabus changes under the National Education Policy Her recent reporting has included deeply reported human stories on policy changes during the Trump administration and their consequences for Indian students and researchers in the US. Reporting Style Vidheesha is recognised for a human-centric approach to policy reporting, combining investigative depth with intimate storytelling. 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