HRD Minister Inaugurates National Consultation on Revised Accreditation Framework

Union HRD Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar inaugurated the one-day National Consultation on Revised Accreditation Framework on April 25, 2017, in New Delhi. The consultation was held to discuss NAAC’s revised Accreditation Framework.

In its recently revised Framework, NAAC has mentioned 5 major points that include enhanced use of technology, transparency in the process and greater objectivity. The format for accreditation for universities and autonomous colleges has been developed by a group of experts.

Talking about the steps taken by the team of NAAC experts and other educationalists, Javedekar said that all agencies responsible for certifying or grading the institutes must keep in mind the final product of their scrutiny. The minister pointed various aspects that should be kept in mind for ensuring the quality of education.

Here’s what the minister said:

• The minister said that delivery of subject knowledge is paramount in order to develop the skills of students.
• He added that education should be perceived in totality and that an institute’s ability to adapt to change must be reflected in its rankings.
• Javadekar also stated that both NAAC grading and NIRF rank should be cited by the institute so that students are able to choose the appropriate college for themselves.
• The attempt should be to reach more colleges in remote regions and grade their quality of education accordingly, added the minister.
• He said that the data collected by agencies must be verified so that an authentic database could be made.
• Javadekar indicated that linking the Aadhaar Cards to the system of accreditation could be very helpful to eradicate malpractices and fraudulent activities.
• The introduction of 4 to 5 grading agencies is important for more credibility, Javadekar said. He also added that discussions have been going on to give IITs the authority to grant accreditation.

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Mr. K. K. Sharma, Secretary Higher Education and MoS HRD Mr. Mahendra Nath Pandey also addressed the gathering at the meeting.

The National Consultation also considered the stakeholders’ feedback and the pilot study that aims to validate the framework. Close to 100 experts from different fields of education will participate in the National Consultation including prominent educationists, Principals of Colleges, Vice Chancellors / Directors who are currently serving or have served the system in the past.

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The inputs of all these experts will be presented at the National Consultation. These suggestions will be used to fine-tune and devise the final norms of the revised Accreditation Framework which is due to be introduced in July 2017.

Image Courtsey: PIB