Education Minister Pralhad Joshi today said that NCERT has played an important role in the Indian education system for more than six decades, particularly through its textbooks, learning materials, and curriculum frameworks. The Minister was speaking at the 66th Foundation Day celebrations of NCERT at its headquarters in New Delhi. The Minister said that the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 provided a framework for reforms in school education, with emphasis on holistic development, creativity, critical thinking, experiential learning and competency-based education. He highlighted NCERT’s work on the National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage (NCF-FS) 2022, the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023, and the development of new textbooks for Grades 1 to 9.
Appreciating NCERT’s efforts towards multilingual education, the Minister noted that textbooks for Grades 1 to 8 were being prepared in all 22 languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, along with 121 primers in different Indian languages, including 93 tribal languages. He added that the new textbooks were making learning more engaging and relevant while remaining rooted in India’s heritage, with Indian Knowledge Systems integrated across the textbooks.
Mr Joshi also emphasised the need for NCERT to continue strengthening its research ecosystem and use of technology, particularly in view of the growing role of Artificial Intelligence in education and society. He noted the importance of equipping learners with digital literacy, AI awareness, critical thinking, problem-solving and innovation skills, while also giving due attention to the mental well-being of students through appropriate curricular interventions, psychosocial support and teacher training.
Highlighting the launch of the Robotics Learning Centre, Translation Lab, and the upgraded Television Studio, Mr Joshi said that these facilities would support technology-enabled learning, education in Indian languages, and the development of educational content. He added that the next phase of NCERT’s development should build on its existing institutional experience while responding to emerging educational needs.
