Members

MEMBERSHIP CATEGORY 1

Statutory Educational Boards (Legally established by the Central or State Government through legislative acts or executive mandates)

MEMBERSHIP CATEGORY 2

Privately Owned Boards (Independent educational boards operating outside of direct Central or State legislative or executive establishment)

MEMBERSHIP EXEMPTION

Universities Conducting School Certificate Courses

An academic certificate for Class 10th or Class 12th issued directly by a University is legally valid and recognized if the university itself was established by the State or Central Government through one of three legal frameworks:

• An Act of Parliament: Central Universities empowered by national legislation to run school-level divisions.
• A State Legislature Act: State Universities authorized by local state legislation to offer intermediate/secondary programs.
• An Executive Order / Gazette Notification: Institutions granted Deemed-to-be-University status under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956, with approved school education boards.

Policy on Universities Conducting School Certificate Courses

An academic certificate for Class 10th (Secondary) or Class 12th (Senior Secondary) issued directly by a University is legally valid and recognized if the university itself was established by the State or Central Government through one of three legal frameworks:

• An Act of Parliament: Central Universities empowered by national legislation to run school-level divisions.
• A State Legislature Act: State Universities authorized by local state legislation to offer intermediate/secondary programs.
• An Executive Order / Gazette Notification: Institutions granted Deemed-to-be-University status under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956, with approved school education boards.

COBSE BHARAT Membership & Syllabus Benchmarking Exemption

Because these statutory universities possess inherent, legally backed autonomy to grant degrees and school-level certificates under their founding legislation, they stand on unique legal ground regarding evaluation frameworks.

📢 Official Clarification on Evaluation & Membership

Universities established under the three frameworks listed above do not require external syllabus benchmarking by outside agencies to validate their school certificate courses.

Consequently, such universities are not required to take institutional membership of COBSE BHARAT. COBSE BHARAT recognition and membership are strictly designated for school education boards, private councils, and educational entities seeking independent curriculum evaluation, alignment with international benchmarks (like the British or Singapore curricula), or participation in the GenAI Implementation in Education Program. Statutory universities remain self-governing in their curriculum evaluation processes.

Regulatory Verification Framework for University School Programs

To ensure the validity and quality of school certificate courses offered by a university, stakeholders must verify the institution’s official standing across three regulatory tiers. First, the university’s core recognition and authority to grant qualifications must be verified directly through the University Grants Commission (UGC) website, confirming its status as a valid Central, State, or Deemed university under the UGC Act. Second, its institutional standing and the equivalence of its courses can be checked through the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) directory to ensure widespread academic acceptance. Finally, the overall quality and infrastructure benchmarks of the institution should be validated by reviewing its assessment reports and grading status on the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) portal. Thoroughly cross-referencing an institution across UGC, AIU, and NAAC databases is the definitive method to confirm that its syllabus, affiliation process, and secondary certificates carry full legal and academic validity.

Official Portals for Institutional Verification

• University Grants Commission (UGC): www.ugc.gov.in
• Association of Indian Universities (AIU): www.aiu.ac.in
• National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC): www.naac.gov.in