Grant of Deemed University Status to NCERT

The Ministry of Education, after the University Grants Commission’s Expert Committee assessed the application, recommended that the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) be granted Institution Deemed to be University status under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956. The Ministry issued a notification on 30 March 2026 declaring NCERT as a deemed university, subject to the condition that it initiates research, doctoral and innovative academic programmes. The Minister of State for Education, Dr Sukanta Majumdar, conveyed this in a written reply in the Lok Sabha. The new status is intended to strengthen NCERT’s research, innovation and collaboration capabilities and reinforce its role as a national think‑tank and technical support agency for the Centre and States.