Naac to Divulge Secret Scores for College Grade Benchmarks

What’s in today’s article:

• About NAAC (Vision, Objectives, Meaning of Assessment & Accreditation)
• How Accreditation works (Process, Benefits)
• News Summary

Why in news?

• The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) has decided to open up its secret ledger of maximum scores it awards to colleges.
• It will, for the very first time, declare the highest marks, called as benchmarks in NAAC terminology, that it has set aside for each of the parameters it grades colleges on.

About National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC):

• NAAC is an autonomous body established by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
• It was established in 1994 on the basis of recommendations made under the National Education Policy (1986).
• It is registered under the Karnataka Societies Registration Act of 1960.
• Vision:
  • To make quality the defining element of higher education in India through a combination of self and external quality evaluation, promotion and sustenance initiatives.
• Headquarters: Bengaluru

Objectives of NAAC:

• To arrange for periodic assessment and accreditation of institutions of higher education or units thereof, or specific academic programmes or projects;
• To stimulate the academic environment for promotion of quality of teaching-learning and research in higher education institutions;
• To encourage self-evaluation, accountability, autonomy and innovations in higher education;
• To undertake quality-related research studies, consultancy and training programmes, and

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What is Assessment & Accreditation?

• Assessment is the performance evaluation of an institution or its units based on certain established criteria.
• Accreditation is the certification of quality for a fixed period, which in the case of NAAC is five years.
• The University Grants Commission (UGC) through a gazette notification in January 2013, has made it mandatory for Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) to undergo accreditation.

How Accreditation Process is Carried Out:

• The process of Assessment and Accreditation broadly consists of – 
  • Online submission of Institutional Information for Quality Assessment (IIQA) and Self-Study Report (SSR).
  • Data Validation and Verification (DVV) by NAAC.
  • Student Satisfaction Survey (SSS) by NAAC.
  • Peer Team Visit.
  • Institutional Grading.

Benefits of Being NAAC-Accredited:

• Through a multi-layered process steered by the NAAC, a higher education institution gets to know whether it meets certain standards of quality set by the evaluator in terms of curriculum, faculty, infrastructure, research and financial well-being among others.
• Based on these parameters, the NAAC gives institutions grades ranging from A++ to C. If an institution is graded D, it means it is not accredited.
• Apart from recognition, being accredited also helps institutions attract capital as funding agencies look for objective data for performance funding.
• It helps an institution know its strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities through an informed review process.
• NAAC accreditation helps students going for higher education abroad as many global higher education authorities insist on recognition and accreditation of the institution where the student has studied. 

News Summary:

• For any college to receive accreditation, it is asked several questions on the basis of faculty, facilities, academic and administrative processes, like the number of PhD faculty, students enrolled, number of computers, books in the library, etc.
  • For each question asked, there is a top score that was a well-kept secret for years.
• But now, NAAC will reveal that score, thus allowing institutes to push the pedal and aim for higher numbers.