The full form of NCTE is the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE). The Indian government set up in 1995. Before 1995, the NCTE had existed since 1993 as an advisory body to look after the development and progress of teachers’ education. The NCTE was then only a department of the NCERT.
Now that it has become a separate institution, it can make recommendations to both the state and central governments, and even the UGC.
Today, it is responsible for development of teachers’ education at pre-primary, primary, secondary and senior secondary stages in schools, non-formal and part-time education, correspondence education and distance education courses levels.
The NCTE regulates the courses of both B.Ed and M.Ed, of which the Bachelor’s degree is a requisite to work as a teacher in any recognised educational institution. It is also responsible for recognition of degrees and diplomas related to arts, physical education and yoga.
Furthermore, with the help of frequent assessments, surveys, studies, and examinations, it helps in maintaining the standards for being a teacher in an affiliated institution and in preventing the commercialisation of the profession, which happens to be one of its lesser known functions.
It has been said that there will never be enough teachers. With more students and increasing competition, this has never been truer and this is where the NCTE proves its significance.