Now, colleges are concerned about making the grade8217;

FEBRUARY 27: Ensuring that colleges and universities make the grade is the business of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council ...

FEBRUARY 27: Ensuring that colleges and universities make the grade is the business of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council NAAC. Established by the University Grants Commission UGC in 1994, the autonomous body assesses and grades institutions of higher education which sign up for the process. Recently, the union Human Resource Development ministry and University Grants Commission also fixed up a time frame for institutions of higher education to undergo assessment by the NAAC. Universities that are UGC funded have to be accredited by the end of this year and colleges, by the end of 2003. NAAC is also the founder-member of the International Network of Quality Assurance Agency in Higher Education, and will host the organisation8217;s next conference in 2001 in India.

Obviously, the council8217;s role is only increasing in scope and importance. Headquartered in Bangalore, it has assessed 120-odd institutions, including eight universities till date. Even the ninth plan has linked one-third of funding to performance appraisal of educational institutions. And within a few months, NAAC8217;s staff strength now 25-odd will double. Some of the NAAC team members, including chairperson Prof A Gnanam and deputy advisor Dr Antony Stella, are in Mumbai to assess SNDT University and Lala Lajpatrai College. In an interview with SUDESHNA CHATTERJEE, Stella spoke at length about the upward swing in the NAAC.

How do you rate the government8217;s attitude towards the NAAC?

Extremely favourable, especially from Tamil Nadu. This state has given financial support to 11 of its institutes for assessment by the NAAC. Even the Kerala government has identified six centres of learning which they feel are excellent and have disbursed the necessary money for assessment. And at Bihar, the secretary of higher education was present all through a two-day workshop, which could only motivate us.

Has the importance of NAAC percolated down the line?

It will take some time before one can see widespread results. But let me give you examples of two institutions in Tamil Nadu graded by NAAC. The one that got the lower grades saw less students the following year. At the Union Christian college, Kerala, the Parents Teacher Association PTA raised money for being assessed by the NAAC.

Do funds prevent some institutions from availing of assessment?

I do not think so. Loreto college at Calcutta took extra money from its students for three years to raise the revenue. And in Kerala, more than the government, credit goes to the vice chancellor of the Mahatma Gandhi university at Kottayam, Dr Rajashekharan Pillai. Most of its affiliates have volunteered to be assessed and accredited by NAAC due to his support. By March 2000, around 35 colleges of the university will be assessed and accredited.

How much is required for assessment? And what8217;s the criteria?

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In the case of universities, UGC has extended financial support to the tune of Rs 5 lakh to meet the expenses involved. However, for colleges, the UGC had taken the decision that the required fees Rs 25,000 per faculty be reimbursed. But they have to bear the expenses of peer team visits.

The criteria include curricular aspects, teaching-learning and evaluation, research, consultancy and extension, infrastructure and learning resources, student support and progression, organisation and management and healthy practices.

What about disciplines like BEd colleges which are already governed by bodies like the National Council for Teacher Education?

Specialised bodies like the All India Council for Technical Education AICTE give approvals to institutes. We assess the institute and give a grade. Last year, two meetings were held in Delhi between the NAAC and NCTE, Medical Council of India, National Board of Accreditation and the Distance Education Council to establish co-operation in assessment. Though a formal understanding is yet to be signed, at present, we include experts on our panel who have worked with these bodies as well. For example, with BEd colleges, we take experts who have been on the enquiry committee panel of NCTE.

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Do the NAAC8217;s functions overlap with that of the UGC, which also has specialised cells to evaluate performances?

As a funding body, the UGC has successfully ensured that institutes show up a minimum level of performance. NAAC is concerned with excellence in education and not minimum standards. The outcome of accreditation will indicate whether an institution is good, average or not satisfactory.