In absence of National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) certification, vital funding from the Union Government and University Grants Commission (UGC) to most of the degree and Post Graduate (PG) colleges of the State would get stalled. The Rashstriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), the Central Government’s flagship scheme for the development of infrastructure and other facilities in colleges and universities has refused to provide funds to the institutions sans NAAC certification.
The UGC has already made NAAC certificate mandatory for its grants. In such a scenario, the central financial assistance to more than 70 Government colleges of the State would get blocked. The data of State higher education department shows that there are only 30 colleges in the State which have NAAC certification. Out of these colleges five colleges 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. The State nodal officer of RUSA, Harshvanti Bisht accepted that the RUSA has directed that no funds would be made available to the institutes without NAAC certification. She told The Pioneer that at present 40 institutes including 30 colleges and three universities have got the RUSA grant cleared by its projects approval board in the year 2016-17. The ongoing projects of RUSA in the state also include up gradation of five colleges into model colleges.
Worried about the RUSA stand on grants, the higher education department has asked the colleges to get prepared for the NAAC certification. However considering the conditions of the colleges of the state, the task appears daunting. The departmental data shows that out of 100 colleges only 55 colleges have their own building and land. Construction work in the buildings of 19 colleges is currently in 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. large numbers of faculty position in the colleges are also vacant.
Out of total sanctioned 2071 posts of assistant professors 981 are vacant in Government colleges of the state. The higher education department has a total of 4261 posts in academic, administrative and non academic sections and out them a staggering 2431 posts are vacant.
Faced with the daunting task of NAAC certification the department on the orders of the state minster for higher education Dhan Singh Rawat has appointed two teams headed by principal of SGGR College VM Baurai and joint director Savita Mohan. These teams are visiting some selected colleges in Garhwal and Kumaon divisions and pointing out remedial measures and necessary action for NAAC certification.
When contacted by The Pioneer, the higher education director, BC Malkani said that the efforts are being made to prepare colleges for NAAC. He expressed hope that at least 10 colleges of the state would get certification from NAAC this time.