The HRD Ministry is undertaking a overhaul of the current National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) accreditation process that will have a ‘surprise’ element as the institutes will not be knowing in advance about the team visiting the campus for the assessment. The accommodation and travel plans of the peer team’s visit will also be outsourced to prevent any collusion between Government-institute officials.
This apart, following complaints of corruption, an 80 per cent weightage has been proposed for self-reported data analysed through software-based capturing and 20 per cent weightage to peer review teams. Provisions of penalty for institutes submitting “fraudulent” information are also likely to be introduced and the number of parameters may be reduced to make the assessment more comprehensive.
“As per the new methodology in deciding the grade of an institute, the peer team assessment of institutes will be given just 20 per cent weightage instead of the current 100 per cent. Eighty per cent weightage will be given to self reported data which can be analysed through software driven data capture,” HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said while inaugurating a national consultation of revised accreditation framework.
The NAAC, which accredits institutes of higher education in the country, had on March 31 suspended the application process till the grading system undergoes an overhaul.
Javdekar pressed upon the need for more accreditation agencies. “If we want to reach the institutes in a time-bound manner and assess them properly, we need more valuators. Therefore we want to set up at least three to four more institutes and we should also give a message to them in this regard,” he said during the consultation.
While the number of parameters will be reduced to make the assessment more comprehensive, a third party verification of the data captured online is also required and provisions of penalty for those submitting false data will also be introduced, he said, adding the revised framework focuses on augmented use of technology, greater objectivity, and transparency of the process.
Javadekar referred to the recent advertisements of institutions citing its NAAC ranking, its certifications and assessment reports and on its basis the trend of students in selecting institutes for further education. He said now the institutes have also added up NIRF ranking as a feather in their caps and now the students as well as the society can’t be misguided any more as the pressure of quality is now working.