Around 60% colleges in state without NAAC rating

Mumbai: Around 60% of the degree-granting educational institutes in the state, registered with the University Grants Commission (UGC), have not acquired the rating given by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). This raises questions over the academic quality of these unaided colleges.

This despite repeated instructions by the UGC telling these colleges to acquire the NAAC rating. Of the 3,346 such degree-granting colleges in the state, 1,986 colleges do not have the ‘NAAC’ status.

The NAAC is a national body for evaluating the quality of universities and colleges, and is considered important to identify the quality of education, infrastructure and other facilities provided by colleges.

According to www.naac.gov.in, 24 out of 28 government colleges in the state have got the NAAC rating and 1,098 of 1,177 aided colleges have completed the process to get the accreditation. However, only 238 of the 2,141 unaided colleges have completed their assessment while 1,903 colleges have not undertaken the NAAC assessment.

According to a recent announcement by the state’s higher and technical education department, colleges should be evaluated by the NAAC within two years of their establishment. Colleges, especially private unaided, in the state have protested against this order.

The NAAC accreditation is not mandatory; however, it is important as many government grants and benefits for the colleges are tied to it.

University Act expert and statute committee member, Prof RS Mali said, “The Maharashtra University Act, 2016 promotes an institution to go through accreditation process with different conditions like participation in senate elections etc. If the government wants to take action against colleges, they must do so in accordance with the Act or amend the law.”