An 11-member team of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) is on a visit to the HNB Garhwal Central University, Srinagar, to consider according grades to the only Central varsity of the State. The team headed by a former Vice-Chancellor of the Central University of Karnataka , Prof AM Pathan, arrived in the campus on Monday.
The Officer-on-Special Duty (OSD) of the University , Dr D S Negi, told The Pioneer that the NAAC certification is very important for the university and its students.
The last time the team of NAAC visited the university was way back in the year 2003 and at that time B+ ranking was accorded to the university. It is pertinent to mention here that the university at present is without any rating as the rating lasts for a period of five years only. The institution concerned had to send an invitation to the body for its visit.
On Tuesday the members of the visiting team divided themselves into four groups; two groups visited the Pauri and Tehri campus of the university while the other two inspected the infrastructure and other facilities at Srinagar.
The Vice Chancellor of the University, J l Kaul gave a detailed presentation to the visiting team about the facilities, staff members and the future plans of the university. The university could face inconvenience on the fact that as large number of faculty positions are lying vacant.
The NAAC is an autonomous body set up by the University Grants Commission (UGC) of India to assess and accredit institutions of higher education in the country. The NAAC with its headquarters at Bangalore is mandated for periodic assessment of institutes of higher education so that an environment for teaching and research is created.