The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) was established in August 1995 with a view to achieve planned and coordinated development of teacher education system throughout the country and for regulation and proper maintenance of norms and standards of teacher education. Some of the major functions of NCTE are laying down norms for various teacher education courses, recognition of teacher education institutions, laying down guidelines in respect of minimum qualifications for appointment of teachers, surveys and studies, research and innovations, prevention of commercialisation of teacher education, etc.

Four Regional Committees of the Council have been set-up at Jaipur, Bangalore, Bhubaneswar and Bhopal for Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western regions respectively. These regional Committees primarily look after recognition of teacher training institutions in their respective regions and are empowered to grant permission to these institutions to run teacher training courses as per the provisions of the National Council for Teacher Education Act. As on 31 January 2006, 5854 teacher training institutions offering 6647 courses have been recognised by NCTE with an approved intake of 5.22 lakh teacher trainees.