HRD committee to study scope for turning NCERT into varsity

To be headed by Prof Goverdhan Mehta,former director,Indian Institute of Science Bangalore,the committee also has on board Prof Mrinal Miri,former NEHU VC,Prof Seyed E Hasnain,University of Hyderabad VC,Prof J A K Tareen,Central University Pondicherry VC,Prof A K Sharma,former NCERT director,Prof G Ravindra,NCERT director,and joint secretary,school education,in HRD ministry S C Khuntia.

The move to grant varsity status to NCERT comes as its five Regional Institutes of Education offering pre- teaching training courses are currently affiliated to other universities. Situated at Bhopal,Ajmer,Mysore,Bhubaneswar and Shillong,these are affiliated to universities. If NCERT is accorded the varsity status,these will automatically be affiliated to the New Delhi-headquartered Council. A similar recommendation had first come in 1980s when a task force was set up to review the mandate of NCERT which had been established in 1961 as a registered society.