NCERT to Launch MA, PG and Doctoral Programmes

Postgraduate and doctoral research programs are being developed by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), as shared by officials from the Ministry of Education. NCERT, which is an independent organization responsible for creating school curricula and textbooks, as well as conducting educational research, is planning to introduce MA degree courses along with postgraduate and doctoral research programs. An official mentioned that NCERT will offer MA courses and postgraduate and doctoral research programs in the field of education. 

However, at this moment, there is no set timeline for these programs, though preparations are already in progress. This move comes after the Ministry of Education declared NCERT as a "deemed university in a distinct category" in April 2026. With this status, NCERT will now have the authority to award undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral degrees in education. Under its new deemed university status, NCERT will have full control over designing curricula and awarding degrees. The officials said this change was made due to NCERT's significant contributions to research, teaching, and curriculum development across the country.

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The university status that has been granted would apply to NCERT's six Regional Institutes of Education (RIEs) located across the country. The proposed curriculum is expected to include specialized areas such as teacher education, curriculum studies, and EdTech. Although NCERT will gain academic autonomy, it will still be under the control of UGC and must follow the standards set by NAAC.