WENR

A Guide to India Education Resources on the Web


Links on this page:

  1. Education System Overview: [1]
  2. Government Bodies: [2]
  3. Professional Councils: [3]
  4. Vocational Training: [4]
  5. Professional Associations: [5]
  6. Major Research Bodies: [6]
  7. Perspectives on Indian Engineering Education: [7]

A. Education System Overview

The following provide reliable overviews of the Indian education system:

International Association of Universities

An outline [8] of the Indian education system by the International Association of Universities, UNESCO

UNESCO International Bureau of Education India Resources

A UNESCO body, the IBE [9] maintains and builds networks to share expertise on curriculum development and education structures in all regions of the world. The resources available from IBE include a detailed overview of the Indian education system, conference and seminar notes, reports presented by the Indian government, curriculum and syllabus resources, and bibliographic resources.

WENR: Education in India

A detailed overview [10] of the Indian education system prepared by World Education Service

Other India-related articles published in WENR

India-related articles from International Higher Education (Boston College)


B. Government Bodies

The Ministry of Human Resource Development

The Ministry of Human Resource Development [14] is the top administrative body for education planning and policy. The ministry is divided into two junior ministries:

1. The Department of School Education and Literacy [15]

Under the Department of School Education and Literacy is the National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE) <http://www.ncte-in.org/ [16]> which is the regulatory body for teacher education. From the NCTE website you can access a list of recognized teacher training institutions <http://www.ncte-in.org/discl.htm [17]>.

Testing at the end of lower and higher secondary school is conducted by either state or All-India (national) boards of education. The boards also set curriculum and award certificates. There are 31 state boards <http://www.education.nic.in/circulars/boards.asp [18]> and three All-India boards:

The boards receive academic and research support from the government-sponsored National Council for Educational Research and Training <http://www.ncert.nic.in/welcome1.asp [22]>. Curriculum standards and guidelines are available from http://www.ncert.nic.in/html/
schoolcurriculum.htm
. The National University of Educational Planning and Administration also offers policy and curriculum advice to government agencies http://www.nuepa.org [23].

2. The Department of Higher Education [24]

Useful resources available from the Department of Higher Education website include:

As many as 90 agencies and professional councils operate under the umbrella of the Department of Higher Education. The professional councils are responsible for recognizing programs and institutions, maintaining standards and disseminating funds. The most important bodies under the Department of Higher Education are the University Grants Council and the All India Council for Technical Education. Other professional councils are listed in the next section.

University Grants Commission (UGC)

The UGC [28] was established as an autonomous statutory authority charged with coordinating and maintaining academic standards. It is also responsible for distributing government grants to public universities. Universities listed by the UGC are recognized as degree-granting institutions. More recently, the National Assessment and Accreditation Council has been established as an autonomous body under the UGC responsible for the accreditation of UGC-recognized universities and colleges.

All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE)

The AICTE [35] regulates technical programs and institutions in many disciplines, including engineering, technology, architecture, town planning, management, pharmacy, applied arts and crafts, hotel management and catering technology. Resources on the AICTE website include:

Other Important Education-Related Ministries and Government Bodies


C. Professional Councils

The following councils provide listings of recognized institutions in their specific disciplines on the websites listed below:


D. Vocational Training

Ministry of Labour and Rehabilitation

The ministry [64] has overall responsibility for vocational training. A list of ministry-recognized industrial training institutes/centers (ITI/C) is available from http://dget.gov.in/lisdapp/nvtis/nvtis.htm [65].

Central Institute of Vocational Education

An advisory body [66] that works in coordination with the Joint Council of Vocational Education to set curriculum and quality standards among all bodies and departments within the vocational sector

National Council for Vocational Training

The NCVT [67] sets standards and curriculum in the trades, conducts All India trade tests and awards National Trade Certificates


E. Professional Associations

Association of Indian Universities

Established in 1923, the AIU [68] plays a major role in coordinating the university sector, and is a vital source of information on Indian universities and their programs. Published biannually, The Handbook of Indian Universities is the ‘go-to’ resource for information on university-level institutions, and a must have for any international admissions office. The AIU is also very active on policy issues pertaining to university education, especially as relates to the internationalization of Indian education. The AIU evaluates foreign academic credentials and provides information to international students wishing to study in India.

Indian Academy of Sciences

Other science associations


F. Major Research Bodies


G. Perspectives on Indian Engineering Education