The Council of Architecture (COA) has been constituted by the Government of India under the provisions of the Architects Act, 1972, enacted by the Parliament of India, which came into force on 1st September, 1972. The Act provides for registration of architects, standards of education, recognized qualifications and standards of practice to be complied with by practicing architects.

Council of Architecture is a body corporate, having perpetual succession and a common seal, with power to acquire, hold and dispose of movable and immovable property, and to contract, and may by that name, use or be used.

The Council of Architecture is entrusted with the responsibility to regulate the education and practice of the profession throughout India, besides maintaining the register of architects. For this purpose, the Government of India has framed rules, and the Council itself has framed Regulations as provided for in the Architects Act, with the approval of Government of India.

The COA oversees the maintenance of the standards by way of conducting inspections through Committees of Experts. The COA is required to keep the Central Government informed of the standards being maintained by the institutions and is empowered to make recommendations to the Government of India with regard to recognition and de-recognition of a qualification.

The Head Office of the Council of Architecture is in Delhi at the Indian Habitat Centre. There are 135 institutions which impart architecture education in India for recognized qualifications. The standards of education being imparted in these institutions (constituent colleges/departments of universities, deemed universities, affiliated colleges/schools, IITs, NITs and autonomous institutions) is governed by Council of Architecture (Minimum Standards of Architectural Education) Regulations, 1983, which set forth the requirement of eligibility for admission, course duration, standards of staff & accommodation, course content, examination etc.