The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is an autonomous organisation setup in 1961 by the Government of India to assist and advise the Central and State Governments on policies and programmes for qualitative improvement in school education. Major objectives of the NCERT and its constituent units are to:
1. Undertake, aid, promote and coordinate research in areas related to school education;
2. Prepare and publish model textbooks, supplementary material, newsletters, journals and other related literature;
3. Organise pre-service and in-service training of teachers;
4. Develop and disseminate innovative educational techniques and practices;
5. Collaborate and network with state educational departments, universities, NGOs and other educational institutions;
6. Act as a clearing house for ideas and information in matters related to school education;
7. Act as a nodal agency for achieving goals of universalisation of elementary education.
In addition to research, development, training, extension, publication and dissemination activities, the NCERT is an implementation agency for bilateral cultural exchange programmes with other countries in the field of school education. The NCERT also interacts and works in collaboration with the international organisations, visiting foreign delegations and offers various training facilities to educational personnel from developing countries. The major Constituent units of the NCERT which are located in different regions of the country are :
1. National Institute of Education (NIE), New Delhi
2. Central Institute of Educational Technology (CIET), New Delhi
3. Pandit Sunderlal Sharma Central Institute of Vocational Education (PSSCIVE), Bhopal
4. Regional Institute of Education (RIE), Ajmer
5. Regional Institute of Education (RIE), Bhopal
6. Regional Institute of Education (RIE), Bhubaneswar
7. Regional Institute of Education (RIE), Mysuru
8. North East Regional Institute of Education (NERIE), Shillong
Organizational Structure
General Body: The Union Minister of Human Resource Development is the President (ex-officio) of the General Body of NCERT. The members of the General Body are the Education Ministers of all States and Union Territories and Chairperson of the University Grants Commission (UGC); the Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Human Resource Development (Department of Education); four ViceChancellors of Universities (one from each region); the Chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education; the Commissioner of the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan; the Director, Central Health Education Bureau; the Director of Training, Directorate General of Training and Employment, Ministry of Labour; one representative of the Education Division, Planning Commission; members of the Executive Committee of the Council and nominees, not exceeding six, nominated by the Government of India (not less than four of them shall be school teachers). The Secretary, NCERT is the Convenor of the General Body of the NCERT.
The Executive Committee is the main governing body of NCERT. The Union Minister of Human Resource Development is its President (ex-officio) and the Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Human Resource Development is the ex-officio Vice-President. The members of the Executive Committee are Director, NCERT; the Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Human Resource Development (Department of Education); Chairperson of the University Grants Commission; four educationists well known for their interest in school education (two of whom shall be school teachers); the Joint Director, NCERT; three members of the faculty of NCERT (of whom at least two are of the level of Professor and Head of Department); one representative of the MHRD and one representative of the Ministry of Finance (who is the Financial Adviser of NCERT). The Secretary, NCERT is the Convener of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee is assisted in its work by the following Standing Committees/Boards:
1. Finance Committee
2. Establishment Committee
3. Building and Works Committee
4. Programme Advisory Committee
5. Educational Research and Innovations Committee
6. Academic Committee of the NIE
7. Advisory Board of the Central Institute of Educational Technology
8. Advisory Board of Pandit Sunderlal Sharma Central Institute of Vocational Education
9. Managing Committees of the Regional Institutes of Education
10. Advisory Boards of Departments of the NIE
Functions of the Council are looked after by the Director, Joint Director and Secretary. Three Deans, the Dean (Academic) coordinates the work of the Departments of the NIE; the Dean (Research) coordinates the research programmes and looks after the work of the Educational Research and Innovations Committee (ERIC) and Dean (Coordination) coordinates the activities of the Service/Production Departments and the Regional Institutes of Education. click here for more information.
