There is ample substance in the oft repeated statement of National Policy of Education (NPE-1986) that no society can rise above the level of its teachers. The level or status of teachers, no doubt, depends on several factors but the professional competence and motivation are among most important determinants of their level. Teachers’ professional competence in turn depends on the effectiveness of their education and training – both pre-service and in-service. However, there is a widespread feeling in the country that the pre-service teacher education system in the country has failed to keep pace with the changing realities of school education and the system of in-service education has not been institutionalized so far. The situation calls for systemic reforms in pre-service teacher education and institutionalization of in-service education. The present paper makes an attempt to address the issue of the need for systemic reforms in pre-service teacher education.