Lok Sabha Question No. 3256 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-16
Subject: Training and Professional Development of Teachers
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri Vivek Thakur, Dr. Gumma Thanuja Rani

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 3256 ANSWERED ON 16/12/2024

## Training and Professional Development of Teachers

## 3256.   Dr. Gumma Thanuja Rani: Shri Vivek Thakur:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

(a) the initiatives undertaken by the Government for training and professional development of teachers in schools;

(b) the number of teacher training programmes conducted under these initiatives, including those by National Council of Education, Research and Training (NCERT) in the last three years;

(c) whether any study has been conducted by the Government to assess the impact of these training programmes on the quality of education being delivered in schools, if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether any programme for teachers training is being implemented by National Council for  Teacher Education(NCTE) after the implementation of New Education Policy, 2020, if so, the details thereof; and

(e)  the measures taken by the Government to enhance the teachers training programmes to align with the NEP, 2020?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

## (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

(a) to (e): The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 states that "Teachers truly shape the  future  of  our  children  -  and,  therefore,  the  future  of  our  nation.  The  motivation  and empowerment of teachers is required to ensure the best possible future for our children and our  nation''.  NEP  2020  envisage  that  teachers  are  to  be  given  continuous  opportunities  for self-improvement and to learn the latest innovations and advances in their professions. These are  offered  in  multiple modes,  including  in  the form  of  local,  regional,  state,  national,  and international workshops as well as online teacher development modules. Platforms (especially online platforms) are to be developed so that teachers may share ideas and best practices.  Each  teacher  is  expected  to  participate  in  at  least  50  hours  of  CPD  (continuous Professional Development) opportunities every year for their own professional development, driven by their own interests.

In order to provide continuous professional development opportunities to the teachers' initiatives  like  NISHTHA  (National  Initiative  for  School  Heads'  and  Teachers'  Holistic Advancement) program by National Council of Education, Research and Training (NCERT) are  implemented  by  the  Department.  It  aligns  with  NEP's  focus  on  enhancing  teacher competency,  fostering  innovative  pedagogical  practices,  and  integrating  technology  into education. NISHTHA plays a pivotal role in improving teaching quality, fostering equity, and achieving the NEP's goal of creating a vibrant, inclusive, and future-ready education system.

Number  of  teachers  trained  under  different  NISHTHA  programmes  conducted  by NCERT in the last three years is as under:

| Programme                         | Launched in    | No. of certification   |
|-----------------------------------|----------------|------------------------|
| NISHTHA (Elementary) Face to Face | August 2019    | 17,73,312              |
| NISHTHA Elementary Online         | October 2020   | 22,64,564              |
| NISHTHA Secondary Online          | July 2021      | 7,64,278               |
| NISHTHA FLN Online                | September 2021 | 13,59,065              |
| NISHTHA ECCE online               | July 2022      | 1,55,821               |

In addition, NCERT conducted several trainings to develop competencies of teachers and teacher educators:

- i. Since 2020, around 1146 sessions have been conducted till date as part of webinar orientation  of  various  stakeholders  on  digital  tools,  integration  of  ICT  in  teaching, learning and assessment, cyber safety etc. (https://ciet.ncert.gov.in/webinar).
- ii. Around  7,73,176  learners  have  been  benefitted  during  2021-24  from  the  online training  series  on  'NEP  2020  on  ET  and  ICT'  and  'Development  of  e-content'. (https://ciet.ncert.gov.in/w&t).
- iii. During  2024-25,  around  1,48,837  learners    have  benefitted  from  around  13  online trainings and a micro course of 5 hours for certification on varied courses elevating teaching learning dynamics conducted through  DIKSHA.
- iv. Since October 2021, Central Institute of Educational Technology (CIET-NCERT) is organizing  an  online  training  on  Cyber  safety  and  security  every  month.  Around 3,83,348  learners  have  benefitted  from  these  online  training  on  Cyber  Safety  and training.
- v. During  2024-25,  around  2,19,670  learners  have  benefitted  from  around  13  online trainings on Cyber Safety and Security and a micro course of 5 hours for certification conducted through  DIKSHA
- vi. As per NEP 2020, Continuous professional development courses for teachers, teacher educators and other stakeholders are offered through  DIKSHA  by  NCERT (https://ciet.ncert.gov.in/onlinecourses).

For  pre-service  training  programmes,  Norms  and  Standards  for  Integrated  Teacher Education  Program  (ITEP),  a  four-year  undergraduate  course  designed  to  prepare  teachers comprehensively for the demands of the 21st century has been notified by National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) on 26th October 2021. As outlined in NEP 2020, ITEP is a pioneering  initiative  that  combines  education  with  a  specific  discipline  and  stage-specific specialization.  This  dual  major  programme  spans  four  years  and  is  structured  to  cater  to different school stages: foundational, preparatory, middle, and secondary.    The ITEP Curriculum Framework and stage-specific syllabi is aligned with NEP 2020, National Higher Education Qualification Framework (NHEQF) and National Credit Framework (NCrF) and emphasizes on 21st-century skills and abilities.

National  Professional  Standards  for  Teachers  (NPST)  and  the  National  Mission  for Mentoring (NMM) have been developed to support the professional development of teachers. The NPST outlines the competencies required for effective teaching at different career stages. The  NMM  focuses  on  creating  a  robust  network  of  mentors  to  provide  professional  and personal support to teachers. NPST guiding Document and NMM Bluebook have been shared with States/UTs for wider dissemination.

Further,  under  the  integrated  centrally  sponsored  scheme  of  Samagra  Shiksha, financial  assistance  is  provided  to  the  States/UTs  as  per  the  programmatic  and  financial norms of the scheme for implementing the different interventions/ components of the scheme, including teacher training as also for physical upgradation of all 613 functional DIETs in the country in a phased manner in order to strengthen the in-service training imparted by DIETs.

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