Growth and Regional Distribution of Teacher Education Institutions in India: A State-wise Empirical Analysis

Abstract

Teacher education institutions (TEIs) form the institutional base through which India prepares teachers for schools. Their numerical growth, location and ownership pattern influence the availability of teacher preparation opportunities across states. This study examines the long-term change and regional distribution of recognised TEIs in India using official secondary data from the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), NCTE annual reports, and a Rajya Sabha record based on NCTE data. The empirical analysis uses institution counts, state shares, regional shares, private-sector shares, net change and percentage change. The national number of recognised TEIs reported in the 2015 parliamentary table was 18,839. NCTE annual-report data show 16,754 institutions in 2020, 16,614 in 2021, 16,333 in 2022 and 15,896 in 2023. Thus, the recent trajectory is one of consolidation rather than continuous expansion. The 2015 distribution was highly concentrated: the Northern, Southern and Western NCTE regions each held about three-tenths of all institutions, whereas the Eastern Region held only 7.7 percent. Private institutions accounted for 91.4 percent of the national total. A matched-state comparison further shows that the direction of change differs widely across states. Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, West Bengal and several eastern states recorded net increases, while Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh recorded sizeable declines. The findings show that the geography of teacher education in India is uneven and shaped by both historical private expansion and more recent regulatory rationalization. Policy should therefore focus not only on the number of institutions but also on quality, regional adequacy, approved intake, course mix and alignment with teacher demand.