NCERT Granted Deemed University Status | 03 Apr 2026

Source: TH 

The Centre has granted the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) the status of an “Institution deemed to be University under distinct category”. 

• Degree-Granting Authority: The new status allows NCERT, along with its 6 regional institutes, to independently offer academic courses and confer degrees. 
• Regulatory Compliance: All programs must strictly adhere to the norms and standards prescribed by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and align with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. 
• Academic Expansion: NCERT is mandated to initiate new research, doctoral, and innovative academic programs. It is also authorized to establish off-campus and offshore campuses in accordance with UGC guidelines. 
• Non-Profit Mandate: The institution is strictly bound by conditions that prevent it from engaging in any "commercial" or "profit-making" activities. 
• Mandatory Accreditation: The institute must secure institutional accreditation from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and get its specific programs rated by the National Board of Accreditation (NBA). 
• National Rankings: NCERT is now required to participate in the annual rankings issued by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF). 
• Digital Integration: The institution must compulsorily adopt the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) system, which includes creating student identities and uploading credit scores to digital lockers linked to the ABC portal.