‘Irregularities’ in NAAC functioning: What are the claims against India’s college accreditation body?
Why in news?
The chairperson of NAAC’s executive committee, resigned after repeatedly demanding an independent inquiry into the functioning of the council.
What is the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC)?
- The NAAC is an autonomous body set up in 1994 under the University Grants Commission (UGC).
- Functions –NAAC is entrusted with assessing the quality of India’s higher educational institutions.
- Following a multi-layered assessment process, it awards grades to colleges and universities.
- Its parameters include curriculum, faculty, infrastructure, research and financial well-being.
- The ratings of institutions range from A++ to C and if an institution is graded D, it means it is not accredited.
How is the accreditation process carried out?
- The first step involves an institute approaching the NAAC for assessment.
- Once the NAAC sets the process in motion, the applicant has to submit a self-study report (SSR) containing information related to quantitative and qualitative metrics.
- Peer review –The data is then validated by expert teams of the NAAC, followed by spot visits by peer teams comprising assessors drawn from universities across India.
Is a NAAC accreditation mandatory?
- Voluntary –While the UGC has over the years issued many circulars directing institutes to mandatorily undergo NAAC’s assessment, the process still remains largely voluntary.
- NEP –The National Education Policy (NEP) (2020) has set an ambitious target of getting all higher educational institutes to obtain the highest level of accreditation over the next 15 years.
What are the allegations on the NAAC?
- Malpractices –People with vested interests are indulging in malpractices, leading to the awarding of questionable grades to some institutions.
- Input based –The major problem with the ratings is the current approach of assessment is input-based, i.e., the NAAC relies heavily on self-assessment reports of applicant institutions.
- Influence on the reviews –The data is then validated by NAAC expert teams, followed by peer team visits to the institutions.
- It is alleged that the education institutions influence the peer review teams.
Why are so few institutes accredited?
- Poor grades –The fear of obtaining poor grades holds institutes back from applying.
- Provisional Accreditation for Colleges (PAC) –NAAC explored the possibility of issuing PAC, under which 1 year old institutes could apply for accreditation with validity of 2 years.
- Difficult criteria –Currently, only institutes that are at least 6 years old, or from where at least 2 batches of students have graduated, can apply and the accreditation is valid for 5 years.
What are the Other Challenges in India’s Higher Education System?
- Limited Access: Despite efforts to increase access to higher education, many students from marginalised communities still face barriers to entry, including financial constraints and lack of educational opportunities.
- Especially, the number of students in the Persons with Disabilities category dropped in 2020-21 to 79,035 from 92,831 in 2019-20.
- Gender Inequality: Women continue to face significant barriers to accessing higher education in India, including social and cultural biases and a lack of support systems.
- According to All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE), 2020-2021,the female enrolment in higher education programmes was 49% of total enrolments in 2020-21.
- Employability Issues: Despite having a large number of graduates, many students in India struggle to find employment due to a lack of practical skills and industry-relevant education.
- Also, India lags behind many other countries in terms of research output, and there is a lack of a research culture in many higher education institutions.
Way Forward
- Promote Digital Learning: The use of digital technology can help make education more accessible, cost-effective, and efficient. Institutions should invest in digital infrastructure and provide training to students and faculty to adapt to new technologies.
- Increase Accreditation: The accreditation process should be made more transparent and accessible to encourage more institutions to seek accreditation. The government should also ensure that the accreditation process is fair and free from.
- Promote International Collaborations: International collaborations can help improve the quality of education and research in India. Institutions should partner with foreign institutions to exchange knowledge, expertise, and resources.
