CBSE mandates 50 hours of annual training for teachers, declares STEM as 2025 focus theme

NEW DELHI: The Training Unit of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has issued two major notifications, detailing the mandatory professional development framework for Heads of Institutions and teachers in all CBSE-affiliated schools.
According to an official release from the CBSE, these directives reinforce CBSE’s commitment to the implementation of the goals of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, and are
aligned with the vision of the National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST), which seek to establish benchmarks of quality and accountability in teacher development.
As part of the annual Continuous Professional Development (CPD) mandate, all teachers in CBSE-affiliated schools must undergo a minimum of 50 hours of training per year–25 hours through CBSE or Government Regional Training Institutes and 25 hours through in-house or School Complex-based training.
As per the release, the training would focus on the following key standards, as mentioned in NPST: Core Values and Ethics–12 hours, Knowledge and Practice–24 hours, and Professional Growth and Development–14 hours.
The release said that the training structure is designed to support teachers’ alignment with NPST benchmarks, ensuring quality teaching and improved student outcomes. The framework also considers the broad CPD guidelines suggested by the NCERT.
The CPD guidelines issued by the Board also acknowledge the activities that are academically inclined and contribute to the teaching-learning processes.
Evaluation duties performed by the teachers for Class X and XII Board Examinations, practical examiner’s duty, other developmental tasks such as research projects, presentations, participation in CBSE Conferences, item development, e-content creation, CBP development, curriculum review, viewing DD PM e-Vidya Channel CBSE 15, etc. have been acknowledged as CPD hours as per the quantum notified in the said CPD Notification.
Further, in a forward-looking step aligned with India’s growing knowledge economy, CBSE has declared STEM Education (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) as the Annual Training Theme for 2025.
The focus is on empowering teachers with strategies to integrate experiential, inquiry-based, and interdisciplinary approaches into classroom practice.
To support this, schools have been urged to organise District Level Deliberations (DLDs) on STEM Education with an aim to create localised learning communities where educators can collaboratively reflect on STEM pedagogy, share best practices, and drive grassroots-level innovation.
Schools and teachers are strongly encouraged to participate actively in these deliberations to contextualise national goals within local realities.
All affiliated schools are instructed to ensure compliance with the guidelines set forth in these notifications.
CBSE reiterates its commitment to a future-ready education system by empowering educators, strengthening leadership, and making learning more meaningful and engaging. Heads of Institutions are expected to act as change leaders, promoting a culture of continuous professional learning and innovation in their schools.