Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya National Mission On Teachers & Teaching (PMMMNMTT) Scheme, 2014 – IMPRI Impact And Policy Research Institute

Policy Update
Ananya Sitoke

Background: 

Teachers are the backbone and the core of the education system. Hence, ensuring their availability and improving the quality of both have come to occupy centre stage in our policy discourse. The Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya National Mission on Teachers and Teaching is an umbrella scheme that aims to enhance education quality at all levels by improving the standards of teachers and teaching. The Central Sector Scheme with All-India coverage was launched by the Honourable Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, on 25th December 2014, with an outlay of Rs. 900 crore over the XII Plan.

The proposed Mission is envisaged to address comprehensively all issues related to teachers, teaching, and teacher preparation, and the professional development scheme aims to infuse innovation in pedagogy (teaching), leading to better learning outcomes. By focusing on Integrated Teacher education programmes, the scheme caters to the professional development needs of both pre-service and in-service teachers & faculty. 

Objectives of the Scheme:

1. To ensure a coordinated approach to holistically address the various shortcomings relating to teachers and teaching across the educational spectrum, ranging from school education to higher education, including technical education, using the best international practices for excellence.
2. To create and strengthen the institutional mechanisms (Schools of Education, Institutes of Academic leadership and Education Management, Subject-based networks, Teaching-learning Centres, etc.) at the Centre & in the States, for augmenting training and discipline-wise capacity building of faculty and their periodic assessment for excellence.
3. To empower teachers and faculty through training, re-training, refresher and orientation programmes in generic skills, pedagogic skills, discipline-specific content upgradation, ICT, technology-enabled training and other appropriate interventions.

Functioning:

The Mission objectives are sought to be achieved through a combination of:

1. Programmatic and scheme-based interventions: pre-service & in-service training through existing and new institutional structures, new academic programmes & courses, strengthening post-graduate and doctoral programmes, pre-scheduling year-long training calendars, online training;
2. Project-based activities: ICT-based training, training of Mathematics, Science, Language teachers for schools, Core science & engineering courses in technical education, general courses in social sciences, humanities and vocational courses.

The Mission consists of the following components:- 

1. Schools of Education in Central, State and Deemed Universities (SoE)
2. Centres of Excellence for Curriculum and Pedagogy
   1. Centres of Excellence in Science and Mathematics Education (CESME)
   2. Teaching Learning Centres(TLC) 
   3. Faculty Development Centres (FDC) 
3. Inter-University Centre for Teachers Education (IUCTE) 
4. National Resource Centre for Education (NRCE)
5. Centres of Academic Leadership and Education Management (CALEM) 
6.  Innovations, Awards and Teaching Resource Grants, including workshops and seminars (IATRG)
7.  Subject Networks for Curricular Renewal and Reforms(SBN)
8. Leadership Development for senior functionaries in higher education institutions
9.  Induction training of newly recruited faculty
10.  National Resource Centre 
11. Leadership for Academic Programme (LEAP)

Performance: 

The PMMMNMTT Scheme addresses the need for systematic teacher training and development, providing professional supervision and support, and creating updated teaching and learning environments for teachers, by ensuring that teachers are professionally well-prepared, academically supported and retained in the profession. 

So far, twelve PAB meetings have been held till now, in which a total of 95 proposals from various Universities/Institutes from all over the country have been approved till now for setting up institutional arrangements under various components of the Scheme. To date, the scheme has registered the following beneficiaries:

1. Currently, 1,000 teacher beneficiaries are enrolled in B.Ed. standalone and integrated programs, along with 850 in the M.Ed. program. Current enrollments include 1,118 in B.Ed., 358 in M.Ed., and 321 in research activities. 
2. To date, 39850 teachers have participated in capacity-building programs across various disciplines. Through CESME, 18,929 teachers received in-service training. Additionally, 25 TLCs have benefited 18,646 teachers, while 20 FDCs have trained 2,275 teachers through mid-career programs.
3. Academic leadership is crucial for quality enhancement. Leadership development includes both academic and administrative roles in schools and higher education. Approximately 126,377 beneficiaries, including Vice-Chancellors, Principals, HoDs, and senior administrators like Registrars, have been supported through the centres.

Impact: 

The PMMMNMTT is a major initiative by the MHRD.  The scheme is in recognition of the crucial role played by the teacher in influencing learning outcomes. It is creating and strengthening existing institutional structures and mechanisms that enable teachers to transform their pedagogical approaches and ensure that teachers are properly supported with appropriate academic inputs/resources, including ICTs required for teaching-learning activities and innovative teaching-learning practices. The scheme is also helping to bring in women from marginalised communities so they can receive training to take up professional educator roles.

Emerging Issues: 

Implementing this vast scheme on the ground has come up with major challenges. The emerging issues are:

1.  The number of institutions applying for the scheme and getting approval is less than expected.
2. Institutions implementing the scheme are concerned about the uncertainty regarding its continuity. 
3. The staff to implement the programme is recruited on a project basis. 

Way Forward: 

The Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya National Mission on Teachers and Teaching (PMMMNMTT) scheme is a central sector scheme that focuses on building a strong professional cadre of teachers and setting an international standard in innovative teaching and professional development of teachers. Given the massive growth of education at all levels, including elementary, secondary, higher, technical & vocational, there is a corresponding increase in demand for teachers. The following are the recommendations for better implementation of the scheme:

1. There is a need for the scheme to be widely notified so that there is a rise in the institutions applying for the scheme.  A letter from the UGC or MHRD to all the universities may be helpful in addition to the efforts already made.
2. There is a need to reassure institutions of the continuity of the scheme and that the scheme will become a regular feature of higher education development in the country.
3. A Part of the staff may be recruited as regular staff members of the institution so that the programme can attract good candidates only when there is a guarantee regarding job security. 

References

1. Ministry of Education. (2019, December). The government is providing quality teachers in schools and colleges through the Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya National Mission on Teachers and Training (PMMMNMTT) – HRD Minister. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1595532
2. National Mission on Teachers and Training. (n.d.). https://nmtt.gov.in/aboutus
3. NITI Aayog. (2015, May). Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya National Mission on Teachers and Teaching (PMMMNMTT). https://www.nitiforstates.gov.in/policy-viewer?id=SNC1608P000300
4. Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya National Mission on Teachers and Teaching. (2020, December 4). National Portal of India. Retrieved June 28, 2025, from https://www.india.gov.in/spotlight/pandit-madan-mohan-malviya-national-mission-teachers-and-teaching

About the contributor: Ananya Sitoke is a researcher at IMPRIand an undergraduate student of political science hons. At the Lady Shri Ram College for Women, University of Delhi, with a keen interest in Public Policy.

Acknowledgement: The author sincerely thanks Ms. Aasthaba Jadeja and the IMPRI team for their valuable support.

Disclaimer: All views expressed in the article belong solely to the author and not necessarily to the organisation.

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