How EdIndia Is Empowering Teachers Through DIET Programs?
The quality of learning in any classroom rests not just on the shoulders of teachers but also on the institutions that prepare them to teach. Across India, the District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) were envisioned to be the nerve centres of teacher education, spaces where ideas meet practice, and where teachers evolve into reflective professionals. Yet, many DIETs have faced persistent challenges; limited resources, inconsistent training systems, and an absence of structures that nurture continuous professional growth.
Over the years our work has focused on strengthening these institutions from within, helping them become more capable, collaborative, and forward-looking. The work began with a simple but powerful question: how can teacher education systems truly prepare teachers to meet the aspirations of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020? The answer lay in building the capacity of DIETs, so they could function as Centres of Excellence that drive change, not just deliver training.
Reimagining DIETs as Centres of Excellence
Lasting change in education doesn’t happen overnight, it begins with strong institutions. That’s the idea behind EdIndia Foundation’s Institutional Strengthening Program (ISP). The program works with SCERTs and DIETs to help them move beyond being just training providers and evolve into spaces of academic innovation, research, and reflective teaching.
Under ISP, support is focused on six key areas that form the backbone of effective teacher education; infrastructure, teacher empowerment, research and innovation, inclusive education, vocational education, and collaboration, as envisioned by Ministry of Education.
These goals show up in the everyday work of DIETs, when a faculty member learns to conduct classroom-based research, when institutions share their findings across districts, or when technology becomes part of how training is delivered. Each of these small, steady changes contributes to a larger shift in how teacher education works at scale.
A Model for Reform in Rajasthan
This approach has come to life in Rajasthan through our collaboration with the Rajasthan State Council of Educational Research and Training (RSCERT). Six DIETs have been selected to be developed as Centres of Excellence, with the goal of improving how teachers are prepared and supported across the state and EdIndia foundation is supporting this effort by strengthening institutional processes and academic systems.
Between 2023 and 2025, over 500 faculty members and administrators participated in three months of structured teacher training and workshops, with EdIndia foundation providing technical support. These sessions focused on capacity building for state resource groups (SRGs), reflective teaching, educational research, and leadership. Each DIET has designed its own roadmap aligned with NEP 2020 and the National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST).
Gradually, a transformation began to take shape. DIETs that once worked in isolation started collaborating and sharing ideas. Faculty members began seeing themselves not just as trainers, but as mentors, researchers, and innovators. The environment in these institutions became more reflective, open, and vibrant, marking a real change in how teacher education is practiced and experienced.
Technology and Data, The Quiet Enablers
Technology has played a quiet but decisive role in this journey. In Rajasthan, EdIndia foundation worked with RSCERT to develop data dashboards and digital monitoring tools that make teacher education measurable and transparent. Administrators can monitor attendance, monitor progress, and identify where additional support is needed.
Now DIETs can track their own growth in real time which is helping institutions reflect and plan efficiently. Key data such as number of faculty members trained, number of teachers followed up sessions, what kind of classroom impact followed, etc.
Through this work we have been able to create a 24-session institutional strengthening module, which is a benchmarking framework for DIET excellence, and an early draft of the Rajasthan Professional Standards for Teachers (RPST), which is a step to align the teachers of the state education ecosystem with the National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST) framework.
Building Capacity That Lasts
Sustainability has been the guiding principle behind every intervention. The goal is not to run workshops but to build systems that keep learning alive long after the training ends. Faculty members are encouraged to take ownership of professional learning to lead sessions, mentor peers, and document innovations.
Blended learning has been an important part of this process. Through the Teachable App, DIET faculty and teachers can access online modules, mock tests, and professional resources at their own pace. This allows learning to continue beyond physical workshops, creating a rhythm of continuous improvement.
Many institutions have also started forming Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), small, voluntary groups of teachers and faculty members who meet to share ideas, observe lessons, and co-develop classroom strategies. These communities have brought a sense of collective ownership to professional growth.
From Institutional Strength to Classroom Change
The impact of this work can be seen in classrooms. Faculty members who were unable to find time for research are now leading their study of student engagement. Teachers trained by these DIETs are working on new assessment practices and digital tools, adapting the practices to meet diverse learning needs.
Sterlite EdIndia Foundation has collaborated with administrators across six states, strengthened 66 teacher education institutes, trained more than 15,000 teachers and KRPs, and supported over 46,000 schools. Each DIET that grows stronger creates a ripple effect, better-trained teachers, more confident students, and classrooms that feel more inclusive and engaging.
As the implementation of NEP 2020 proceeds in India, and with it the role for DIETs and SCERTs, the future of teacher education will depend on the institutions that can adapt, create, and support teachers to become lifelong learners. Change doesn’t always happen in big chunks with reform efforts; sometimes it starts with the quiet reflection of a teacher after a lesson, or a faculty member of a DIET trying something new in a training session. And those small shifts multiplied across thousands of schools can truly transform the education landscape.