Ever since India’s independence (1947), planning pre-service teacher education (PSTE) has presented challenges because of its cultural and social diversity. These were overcome in 1986 with the creation of the District Institute of Education and Training (the DIET system) which also started pre-service elementary teacher education in each district under the system. At present, India is striving to achieve Universalization of Elementary Education (UEE), and PSTE has attracted due attention of school teachers, as both are key agents for change in education. The PSTE curriculum is framed at the state level and yet expected to function smoothly in a district. The latter cannot be taken for granted as each district has its unique context and challenges. The experience of teacher trainees studying for PSTE courses, and the relevance of the PSTE curriculum, given the diverse educational-economic- social conditions of each district, are two important factors which need examination to further improve PSTE, school teachers’ profession, and elementary education in general.