The recently published draft NCTE (Recognition Norms and Procedure) Regulations, 2025, has attracted great attention across stakeholders—and rightly so. After all, teacher education has remained one of the core focus areas for educationists and administrators for several decades, as it forms the bedrock of any strong education system. These draft regulations by the premier body of teacher education are critical for the transition towards the NEP 2020-defined education paradigm. However, amidst this, a peculiar criticism has emerged from a section of academicians which needs necessitates a closer look.

Operationalizing this drastic national education policy is a herculean task in a country as vast and diverse as India. Bringing such a promising policy framework to life, as envisaged under NEP 2020—to which I have also contributed since its inception—requires both the introduction of novel, future-ready elements and the rational elimination of legacy structures that may no longer serve their intended purpose.

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As part of its consultative approach, the NCTE recently invited public suggestions on its new Draft Regulations 2025. Among other proposals, it suggested phasing out courses that have struggled to remain relevant as part of a broader effort to revamp the teacher education landscape. This is necessary, for any new education paradigm must be supported by talent prepared through aligned and contemporary training pathways. A central reform in this regard is the replacement of all existing teacher education programmes with a unified four-year BA/BSc/BCom-Ed programme.

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One suggestion has been to phase out the B.El.Ed. programme and replace it with the new Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP) to ensure standardization and avoid student inconvenience. The B.El.Ed. programme, launched by faculty from the Department of Education at Delhi University, was a well-intentioned initiative when it was launched. However, it could not take off well due to many structural issues within the education........

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