NCERT, SCERT Organise 5-Day NISHTHA Training Programme for Teachers and School Heads

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), in collaboration with the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), Delhi, has conducted a five-day capacity-building programme for teachers and school heads under the Reimagined NISHTHA initiative.The programme was held from November 2 to 6, 2026, at Shaheed Hemu Kalani Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya in Lajpat Nagar, New Delhi. Organised under the Samagra Shiksha scheme, the initiative focused on strengthening teaching and school leadership across the foundational, preparatory and middle stages of education.

The training programme aimed to improve educators' understanding of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, National Curriculum Frameworks (NCFs) and newly developed textbooks. It also sought to support the effective implementation of education reforms through improved classroom practices.

Key Areas Covered Under the NISHTHA Training Programme

The five-day programme addressed several important aspects of school education and teacher development. The major areas covered during the sessions included:

NEP 2020 and NCFs: Understanding the objectives of the National Education Policy and updated curriculum frameworks.

School leadership: Strengthening school culture, institutional leadership and management practices.

Digital education: Exploring the role of technology and digital resources in teaching and learning.

Child-centric learning: Promoting student-focused teaching approaches.

Inclusive education: Addressing diversity, inclusion and student well-being.

Teaching methodologies: Understanding stage-specific and subject-specific pedagogical approaches.

Assessment practices: Improving student evaluation methods and the use of the Holistic Progress Card (HPC).

Apart from classroom-focused discussions, participants took part in group activities, presentations and collaborative exercises. They also prepared classroom action plans to translate the training concepts into practical teaching strategies.

NCERT Director Inaugurates the Training Programme

The programme was inaugurated by NCERT Director Professor Dinesh Prasad Saklani, who attended the event as the chief guest. Jatin Goel, Director of SCERT Delhi, was also present during the inaugural session.The participation of senior education officials highlighted the importance of strengthening teachers' professional development and improving the quality of school education.

NCERT Emphasises Effective Implementation of NEP 2020

The programme concluded with a valedictory session chaired by Sridhar Srivastava, Dean (Coordination) at NCERT. Addressing participants, he stressed the need to continue the initiative in mission mode to ensure that the objectives of NEP 2020 are effectively implemented in schools.During the closing session, Anand Arya and representatives from different curricular groups shared their experiences and observations from the training.

Suniti Sanwal presented the programme's concluding report, while Sukhvinder discussed the future roadmap for NISHTHA. A post-training survey was also conducted to gather participants' feedback.The programme ended with a renewed commitment to incorporating the principles of NEP 2020 into everyday classroom teaching and learning practices.

What is the NISHTHA Programme?

NISHTHA stands for the National Initiative for School Heads' and Teachers' Holistic Advancement. It is a teacher-training initiative designed to strengthen the professional capabilities of teachers and school leaders and improve learning outcomes.

The programme is aligned with NEP 2020 and focuses on continuous professional development through different training modules. NCERT's guidelines also highlight the importance of at least 50 hours of continuous professional development opportunities annually for teachers and head teachers.