Kerala Governor Launches National Conclave 2026 for NPST and NMM at NIT Calicut, ETEducation
The National Council for Teacher Education, in collaboration with the National Institute of Technology Calicut, organised the National Conclave 2026 for Southern States and Union Territories on the National Professional Standards for Teachers and the National Mission for Mentoring at the NIT Calicut campus in Kerala.
The conclave was conceived as a capacity-building and orientation platform to support the nationwide rollout of these two key reforms envisaged under the National Education Policy 2020.
The event was inaugurated by the Governor of Kerala, Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, who also formally launched the official website of the National Mission for Mentoring. In his inaugural address, the Governor underscored the centrality of teachers in shaping a progressive and resilient nation, observing that empowered and professionally supported educators form the foundation of long-term national development.
He commended the National Council for Teacher Education for creating institutional frameworks that seek to professionalise teaching and embed mentoring as a sustained practice within the education system.
The Union Minister for Education, Dharmendra Pradhan, conveyed his best wishes for the success of the conclave through a recorded message. Messages of encouragement were also shared by the Minister of State for Education, Jayant Chaudhary, and Vikash Gupta, Commissioner of the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, reflecting the broad institutional support for the initiative across the school education ecosystem.
Addressing the gathering, Pankaj Arora, Chairperson of the National Council for Teacher Education, emphasised that large-scale capacity building of stakeholders is essential for the effective and uniform implementation of the new professional standards and mentoring mission. He noted that these reforms are closely aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047 and aim to strengthen the quality, accountability and professional growth pathways of teachers across India.
From the host institution, Prasad Krishna, Director of the National Institute of Technology Calicut, highlighted the relevance of the National Professional Standards for Teachers in improving classroom outcomes and systemic quality. He observed that anchoring teacher development in clearly articulated standards, as envisioned in NEP 2020, is critical for achieving long-term improvements in school education.
The valedictory session featured Siddu P. Algur, Vice Chancellor of the Central University of Kerala, as Chief Guest. In his address, he stressed that structured mentoring and well-defined professional benchmarks are indispensable for nurturing reflective, competent and future-ready teachers capable of responding to evolving educational and societal needs.
Throughout the conclave, the focus remained on practical orientation, institutional handholding and readiness building. Officials from State Directorates of School Education, State Councils of Educational Research and Training, District Institutes of Education and Training of Excellence, and State and Union Territory nodal offices participated in detailed deliberations.
Principals and teachers from Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti and CBSE-affiliated schools engaged in live demonstrations of the NPST and NMM portals, including hands-on registration and workflow familiarisation.
Senior education officials and stakeholders from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands attended the conclave. The discussions and demonstrations are expected to significantly strengthen institutional preparedness for the implementation of NPST and NMM and contribute to systemic reforms in teacher education in alignment with the National Education Policy 2020.
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