The National Centre for School Leadership (NCSL) established in 2012 at NIEPA is committed to transformation of schools in the country. With transformation of schools as the prime objective, NCSL-NIEPA is working towards addressing the leadership requirement and contextual school issues in 35 states and Union Territories, 741 districts and 6600 blocks across the country. Mainly all activities of the Centre focus on pursuing a transformative agenda for every school in each State. The Centre also focuses on functioning towards evolving differential and workable leadership models.

The motto of the Centre is to reach out to each school in the country, ensuring every child learns and every school excels. To achieve this mission, the Centre has conceptualized school leadershiip development through operational activities along the four components: Curriculum and Material Development, Capacity Building, Networking and Institutional Building and Research and Development.

Unlike the usual short term programmes on school leadership, the Centre has designed leadership development activities that ensure continuous engagement and long term development of school heads and systemic administrators. For the first time in India, a National Programme Design and Curriculum Framework on School Leadership Development has been conceptualized at the National level. The entire programme is based on a practitioner-centric curriculum which is grounded in the needs and contextual issues of schools in the States and the diversity therein. Within the Curriculum Framework, a Handbook on school leadership development has been created which is a rich resource and a reference designed to equip current scool leaders to transform schools of today and prepare prospective leaders in succession to meet the future challenges.