Union Minister for Education Shri Pralhad Joshi launched the six-month Certificate (Bridge) Course in Primary Teacher Education on September 16, 2026 in New Delhi. The course is specifically designed for in-service primary school teachers who hold a B.Ed. degree but lack D.El.Ed qualification, providing them a pathway to attain certification for teaching at the primary level (Classes I-V).
The programme implementation will be handled by the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) and is designed as per the framework of the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE). The course aims to equip teachers with child-centred, inclusive, and development-appropriate teaching practices through academic learning, at least 10 days of online contact classes, and at least 20 days of school-based experience.
The legal basis for this course stems from the Supreme Court of India judgment dated April 8, 2024 in Civil Appeal No. 5068 of 2023 (Devesh Sharma Vs. Union of India and Ors.), which empowered NCTE to devise a bridge course. The course specifically targets teachers whose appointments are protected under the NCTE Gazette Notification F. No. NCTE-Reg. 012/2018 dated June 28, 2018, and who were appointed between June 28, 2018 to August 11, 2023.
The course comprises six theory courses and a school-based practicum, delivered through Open and Distance Learning (ODL) mode. Instruction medium will be Hindi and English, but teachers can write the Public Examination (Theory) in any of the 22 scheduled languages listed in the Eighth Schedule. The programme includes contact programmes, school-based practicum (practice teaching, reflective journals, portfolios), video tutorials, e-learning materials, and digital platforms.
Admission will be conducted online through the NIOS official bridge course portal (https://bridge.nios.ac.in), where eligible teachers can register, upload required documents, and track admission status. All course material including self-learning material will be provided in digital format with supplementary resources such as audios/videos and interactive content available online.