Dr Bhushan Patwardhan appointed chairperson of NAAC executive committee

Speaking to The Indian Express, Dr Patwardhan said Saturday that his focus would be on suggesting qualitative improvements needed in the NAAC processes. “My main area of interest will be aligning the accreditation and assessment process to the University Grants Commission policy mandate and the new National Education Policy 2020. NAAC is not new to me because I was a part of it, the UGC vice-chairman is an ex-officio member. But I will have to review the whole process now,” he said.

“I also know that there is room for improvement everywhere. But one important thing is that NAAC has to be aligned with the NEP recommendations because if assessment is not made based on what is required by the policy, then the whole process is not complete,” Dr Patwardhan added.

Patwardhan said some changes have taken place in NAAC since his term at the UGC. “We have seen that quality mandate parameters are now reflecting in the new metrics of NAAC.”

An autonomous body funded by the University Grants Commission, the NAAC is a government organisation that assesses and accredits higher educational institutions in the country. While its day-to-day affairs are headed by the director, the body functions through its general council and executive committee and other committees.