NATIONAL ASSESSMENT AND ACCREDITATION COUNCIL (NAAC) - GOVERNANCE
News:
NAAC’S accreditation
system needs change to be creditable
What's
in the news?
●
In a recent executive council meeting, the
National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) resolved to transition
from the letter grade system to a binary categorization of “accredited” or “not
accredited” for higher educational institutions.
National
Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC):
●
NAAC is an autonomous body operating under the University Grants Commission (UGC).
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Its establishment in 1994 was in alignment
with the directives outlined in the National
Policy of Education, 1986, and the Programme of Action (POA), 1992,
emphasizing the evaluation of higher education quality in India.
Nodal
Ministry
- Ministry
of Education
Headquarters -
Bengaluru
Objective:
●
NAAC undertakes the evaluation, assessment and accreditation of Higher Education
Institutions (HEIs) across the country.
Features:
●
Assessment involves performance evaluation
based on self-study and peer review using predefined criteria.
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Institutions are rated on a scale from A++ to C, with a grade of D indicating
non-accreditation.
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HEIs eligible for assessment must have at
least two batches of graduates or be operational for six years, meeting
specified conditions.
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The process of Assessment and
Accreditation (A&A) by NAAC is presently voluntary.
Validity:
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Accreditation granted by NAAC is valid for
five years and signifies
certification of quality.
Criteria:
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NAAC bases its assessment on seven criteria - Curricular aspects,
Teaching-learning and evaluation, Research, Consultancy and extension,
Infrastructure and learning resources, Student support and progression,
Governance and leadership, and Innovative practices.
Governing
Structure:
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The governing structure of NAAC comprises
the General Council (GC) and Executive Committee (EC), featuring educational
administrators, policymakers and senior academicians.
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The
Chairperson of the UGC serves as the President of the NAAC GC, while an eminent
academician nominated by the President of the GC leads the EC.
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The Director, serving as the academic and
administrative head, also functions as the member-secretary of both the GC and
EC.
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NAAC receives guidance from advisory and
consultative committees formed periodically.