NCERT’s PARAKH to oversee board certificate recognition under NEP 2020

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has been designated to grant equivalence to Class 10 and 12 certificates issued by school education boards across India, officials announced on Sept 26.

The Department of School Education and Literacy in the Ministry of Education issued a notification in the e-Gazette confirming the move.

The decision replaces a 2021 notification that had placed this responsibility with the Association of Indian Universities (AIU).

From now on, NCERT will take charge of the process through its National Assessment Centre, known as Performance Assessment, Review and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development (PARAKH), which was set up under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

“NCERT will discharge this responsibility through the National Assessment Center, Performance Assessment, Review and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development (PARAKH), established under the National Education Policy 2020,” the Ministry of Education said.

Officials added that the mechanism would be broad in scope, covering central government boards, state government boards, and private school boards created by Parliament, state legislatures, executive orders, or recognized statutory bodies.

“This institutional mechanism will ensure that equivalence determination is conducted through a robust and academically rigorous process,” the ministry explained. “It will also maintain the highest educational standards.”

The notification makes clear that certificates recognized by NCERT will automatically be accepted as equivalent across boards in India.

“The notification ensures that the equivalence granted by NCERT shall automatically be considered as inter-se parity between the boards in India,” the ministry said.

“This will facilitate smooth inter-School Education Board migrations for students across the country,” the ministry added.