Parliament Question: Expansion of National Council for Teacher Education

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO:- 285 ANSWERED ON-02/02/2026 Expansion of National Council for Teacher Education 285. Shri Tatkare Sunil Dattatrey: Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state: (a) the details of steps taken by the Government to expand the human resource and technical expertise of the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE); (b) the details of steps taken by the Government to expand the number of Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs) in the country; (c) the details of steps taken by the Government to ensure more training of primary school teachers for a strong education base in schools across the country; (d) the details of measures taken to increase the number of teachers in schools managed by the Union Government in the country particularly in the State of Maharashtra; (e) the details of initiatives taken by the Government to simplify qualification guidelines for teachers and provide flexibility in training along with the status of the Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP), including the benefits ITEP will provide for teachers; (f) the role of District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) in teacher training and development, as well as the initiatives taken to ensure employment of highly trained personnel in these DIETs; and (g) the details of measures taken by the Government to ensure quality training is available to teachers working in tribal and rural areas? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY) (a) to (e): Expansion of human resource and technical expertise in the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) is undertaken in accordance with the applicable rules and procedures of the Government based on functional needs of the Council. In terms of recommendation of NEP 2020, promotion of teacher education within multidisciplinary institutions, and expansion of Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP) institutions across the country has been undertaken. Training of primary school teachers for strengthening the education base is being addressed through a combination of pre-service and in-service interventions. Pre-service teachereducation programmes are regulated by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), with emphasis on teacher preparation for the Foundational Stage. In this context, the Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP) has been introduced as a four-year integrated degree programme that prepares teachers for school education, including the Foundational Stage, by integrating child development, early childhood care and education, play-based and activity- based pedagogy, and foundational literacy and numeracy, along with early and continuous school internships. In addition, the Department of School Education and Literacy has launched a National Mission to improve learning outcomes through an Integrated Teacher Training Programme called the National Initiative for School Heads’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement (NISHTHA) under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha. NISHTHA supports large-scale in-service teacher capacity building and includes training modules for primary teachers focusing on pedagogy, foundational literacy and numeracy, inclusive education and classroom practices, and is implemented in coordination with the States and Union Territories through face-to-face and online modes. Financial provision is also provided under Samagra Shiksha scheme as per state specific proposals for in-service training of teachers, school Heads, subject teachers, resource persons, master trainers, Education Administrators, Teachers Educators, key resource persons, induction training of newly recruited teachers including those in rural and remote areas at elementary and secondary levels through SCERTs and DIETs, as the nodal agencies. The Central Government, through the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha, provides financial assistance to States/UTs to maintain appropriate Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) at various levels of schooling, as per the norms prescribed under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, as amended from time to time. As per UDISE+ 2024-25, the stage-wise Pupil Teacher Ratio has been reported as 10 at the Foundational stage, 13 at the Preparatory stage, 17 at the Middle stage and 21 at the Secondary stage. Further, the Pupil-Teacher Ratio in the State of Maharashtra, as per the UDISE+ 2024- 25, is 10 at the Foundational stage, 15 at the Preparatory stage, 24 at the Middle stage and 26 at the Secondary stage. As far as schools under the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) and the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) are concerned, periodic recruitment drives are undertaken to fill vacant teaching posts across the country, including in Kendriya Vidyalayas and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas located in the State of Maharashtra. Deployment of teachers in KVS and NVS schools is carried out based on factors such as student enrolment, sanctioned strength and regional requirements. In pursuance of the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, NCTE has undertaken comprehensive reforms to simplify teacher qualification norms and introduce flexibility in teacher education pathways. The key initiative in this regard is the Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP), which has been introduced as a four-year integrated, practice- oriented degree programme after Grade 12, replacing fragmented teacher education pathways and simplifying entry into the teaching profession. Admission to ITEP is through the National Common Entrance Test (NCET) conducted by the National Testing Agency, ensuring transparency, merit-based selection and uniform national standards. The programme is aligned with the new 5+3+3+4 school education structure. It integrates disciplinary knowledge with professional knowledge of education, provides flexibility through interdisciplinarycombinations, follows a semester and credit framework as per UGC norms, and emphasises extended school internships and community engagement. Under PM e-VIDYA programme, which unifies all efforts related to digital/online/on-air education to enable multi-mode access to education, Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing (DIKSHA) was launched in 2017 for providing quality e-content for school education in States/UTs along with QR coded Energised Textbooks (ETBs) for all grades (One Nation, One Digital platform). For teachers, DIKSHA contains lesson plans, worksheets and activities, to create enjoyable classroom experiences. Teachers have access to interactive and engaging teaching materials; can share best practices with other teachers to explain difficult concepts to students; join courses to further professional development, etc. (f) District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) function as key district-level institutions for pre-service and in-service training and continuous professional development of elementary and primary school teachers. DIETs organise in-service training programmes, undertake district-level educational research, support pedagogical improvement, and provide academic and resource support to schools as well as to BRCs and CRCs. In alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, DIETs are being strengthened under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha to enhance their academic capacity and focus on foundational literacy and numeracy and inclusive education. (g) To ensure availability of quality training for teachers working in tribal and rural areas, the curriculum regulated by NCTE places emphasis on multilingual classrooms, local contexts and inclusive education. Digital and blended modes are used to reach remote areas, with a focus on preparing teachers for diverse socio-cultural and geographical contexts. For Continuous Professional Development (CPD) of in-service teachers, including teachers in tribal dominated districts of the country, National Initiative for School Heads' and Teachers' Holistic Advancement (NISHTHA) programme has been initiated. The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has collaborated with the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) for conducting regular NISHTHA teacher training and capacity building programmes for teachers of Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) across the country. *****