A 2-Day National Conclave on Capacity Building of Stakeholders for the Nationwide Roll-out of the National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST) and the National Mission for Mentoring (NMM) was successfully inaugurated at IIT Bhubaneswar.
Being organised by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), a statutory body under the Ministry of Education, Government of India, the programme is being conducted in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, on 13–14 March 2026 at the Senate Hall, IIT Bhubaneswar.
The conclave is being organised as part of the ongoing implementation of the National Education Policy 2020, which emphasises strengthening teacher professionalism, mentoring support, and continuous professional development for teachers across the country.
The inaugural session commenced with the National Anthem, NCTE Dhyey Geet, lighting of the ceremonial lamp, and Saraswati Vandana. A message from Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon’ble Union Minister of Education, and a video message from Jayant Chaudhary, Hon’ble Minister of State for Education, were shared with the participants.
The programme included a Welcome Address by Prof. V. Pandu Ranga, Dean (Continuing Education), IIT Bhubaneswar, followed by an overview of the National Conclave delivered by D. K. Chaturvedi, Academic Advisor, NCTE.
The Opening Address was delivered by Shreepad Karmalkar, Director, IIT Bhubaneswar, who highlighted the importance of strengthening teacher capacity and aligning teacher development initiatives with the vision of NEP 2020. He emphasised that while education policies may be well-conceived, their real impact depends on effective implementation. Quoting that “no nation can rise above the level of its teachers,” he underscored the need to invest in developing outstanding educators through research-based teaching practices. He added that classrooms must evolve from traditional lecture halls into “learning halls” that foster collaborative learning, critical thinking, and innovation among students. IIT Bhubaneswar is implementing all these ideas.
The Keynote Address was delivered by Professor Pankaj Arora, Chairperson, NCTE, who emphasized the transformative potential of NPST and NMM in establishing professional benchmarks for teachers and building a robust mentoring ecosystem across the school education system. stated that the conclave reflects “the strength and diversity of India’s education ecosystem,” bringing together educators and policymakers from several eastern and northeastern states. Describing teachers as “the torchbearers of India’s education system,” he emphasised that initiatives such as the National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST) and the National Mission for Mentoring (NMM) under NEP 2020 will strengthen teacher professionalism and continuous learning.
The Chief Guest Address was delivered by His Excellency Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati, Hon’ble Governor of Odisha, who highlighted the crucial role of teachers in shaping the future of the nation and appreciated the efforts of NCTE in building a structured framework for teacher professional development and mentoring. He said that said the gathering reflects “the strength and diversity of India’s education ecosystem.” Emphasising the pivotal role of teachers, he noted that they are “the torchbearers of India’s education system.” Highlighting initiatives such as the National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST) and the National Mission for Mentoring (NMM) under the National Education Policy 2020, he stressed that empowering educators will be key to strengthening classrooms and shaping the nation’s future.
The conclave brought together key stakeholders from Eastern States, including officials from Departments of School Education, SCERTs, DIETs, State/UT Nodal Officers, and representatives from central and state school systems including KVS, NVS, CBSE, and State Boards from Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Sikkim, Tripura, and West Bengal.
The two-day programme has been designed to feature multiple technical sessions and hands-on demonstrations on the NPST and NMM frameworks and their digital platforms.
During Technical Session I, participants were introduced to the genesis and conceptual foundations of the National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST), followed by a presentation on the plan of action and nationwide roll-out strategy. A detailed overview of the NPST Handbook and a live demonstration of the NPST Digital Portal were conducted by the NCTE team. The session was followed by hands-on onboarding and an open-house discussion, enabling participants to familiarise themselves with the digital platform and its features.
On the second day, the sessions will focus on the National Mission for Mentoring (NMM), during which participants will be oriented to the mission’s vision, genesis, and conceptual framework. The discussions will also cover the implementation roadmap for NMM, followed by a live demonstration of the NMM Digital Portal by the NCTE team. The interactive sessions are designed to enable participants to gain practical exposure to the digital platforms and provide an opportunity for clarifications and feedback regarding the implementation process.
Participants will also be engaged in hands-on practice sessions, interactive discussions, and experience-sharing, enabling them to better understand the operational aspects of NPST and NMM implementation.
The conclave will be concluded with a Valedictory Session, where key insights from the discussions will be summarised, and participants will reaffirm their commitment to advancing teacher professional standards and mentoring frameworks in alignment with NEP 2020.
The event marks an important milestone in strengthening institutional preparedness and building a collaborative ecosystem for the nationwide rollout of NPST and NMM, reinforcing NCTE’s commitment to improving the quality of teacher education across the country.
