National Council for Teacher Education or NCTE India is a statutory body formed to overlook standards, procedures and processes in the Indian education system. Government of India established it in 1973 as an advisory body for the Central and State Governments, on matters related to teacher education. It had its Secretariat in the Department of Teacher Education of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). It became a statutory body through the National Council for Teacher Education Act, 1993 (No. 73 of 1993) on the 17th August,1995. Before the NCTE gained its new status, there was no organisation which could ensure maintenance of standards in teacher education and preventing proliferation of substandard teacher education institutions. As per recommendations of the National Policy on Education (NPE) 1986 and the Programme of Action (POA), 1992, a need was felt to upgrade the National Council for Teacher Education, as an autonomous statutory body with a view to giving it necessary capability and powers to regulate institutions of teacher education and to provide guidance to them in the matter of curricula and methods.

The NCTE headquarter is located at Hans Bhawan, Wing-II, 1, Bahadurshah Zafar Marg, New Delhi- 110002. The main objective of the NCTE is to achieve planned and coordinated development of the teacher education system throughout the country, the regulation and proper maintenance of Norms and Standards in the teacher education system and for matters connected therewith. The mandate given to the NCTE is very broad and covers the whole gamut of teacher education programmes including research and training of persons for equipping them to teach at pre-primary, primary, secondary and senior secondary stages in schools, and non-formal education, part-time education, adult education and distance (correspondence) education courses. NCTE has four Regional Committees which look after its statutory responsibilities. It is compulsory to seek recognition from NCTE for starting a teacher training programme. If not recognised, the degree in teacher education shall not be considered as a valid degree for the purpose of employment under the Central Govt., any State Govt. or University, or in any school, college or other educational body aided by the Central Govt. or any State Govt. The Ministry of Human Resource Department (HRD), Deptt. of Social Education and Literacy has authorized National Council of Educational Research & Training to lay down the curriculum and evaluation procedure for elementary education and to develop framework of national curriculum under clause a of Sub-Section 6 of Section 7 of the Act vide its Gazette Notification

NCTE Structure

The National Council for Teacher Education is composed of the under mentioned bodies for discharge of its functions:-

• The Council
• The Executive Committee
• Regional Committees
• Appeal Committee
• Inspection Team
• Visiting Team

NCTE Regional Committees

There are Four regional committees of the NCTE, looking after its statutory responsibilities in respect of teacher education institutions. The councils are responsible for recognising 'teacher training institutions'

NCTE Officials

The NCTE Headquarters is headed by the Chairperson, while each Regional Committee is headed by a Regional Director.

• Chairperson
• Vice Chairperson
• Member Secretary
• Deputy Secretaries/Under Secretaries at Headquarters
• Section Officers/Private Secretaries/Assistants and other Staff
• Officers and Employees of the Regional Committees
  
  • Regional Directors
  • Under Secretaries

NCTE recognised Colleges

As of 1 January 2007, ‘7461 teacher training institutions offering 9045 courses have been recognised by NCTE’