Alarmed over the Rashtriya Uchhatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) directive to stop funding for the colleges sans National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) certification, the state higher education department has decided to initiate process of NAAC certification for 75 colleges located across the state.
RUSA is the Union government’s flagship programme for development of infrastructure in the colleges and the universities spread across the country.
In the absence of NAAC certification, the colleges based in the state are facing a grim situation where vital funding from the Union government and University Grants Commission (UGC) for most of the degree and Post Graduate (PG) colleges of the state might be stalled.
The minister of state for higher education Dhan Singh Rawat said that the process for NAAC cortication for 75 colleges of the state would start in November. Contacted, the director College Education, Jagdish Prasad Ghildiyal said that all the colleges have been asked to comply with the conditions so that they are eligible for NAAC certification.
The data provided by the state higher education department reveals that there are only 30 colleges in the state which have NAAC certification. Out of these colleges, five are in ‘C’ category which renders them not eligible for the central funds.
At present, RUSA is financing projects worth Rs 140 crore in different colleges and universities of the state.
Though the higher education department has directed the colleges to go for the NAAC certification, the task is very daunting, many privy to the matter say.
The departmental data shows that out of 100 colleges, just 55 have their own buildings and land. Construction work in the buildings of 19 colleges is currently under progress while the government is yet to provide land to 14 government colleges of the state. Apart from building, most of the colleges lack laboratory, library and other basic facilities. What is more, a large numbers of faculty position in the colleges are vacant.
The NAAC is an autonomous body set up by the University Grants Commission (UGC) to assess and accredit institutions of higher education in the country. The NAAC headquartered in Bangalore is mandated for periodic assessment of the institutes of higher education so that an environment for teaching and research is created.