The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), which accredits Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the country, is introducing reforms to align with the National Education Policy 2020 and make the institutions globally competitive. The reforms include a new methodology for accreditation, called Binary Accreditation, which will have two categories: accredited or not accredited. This is in line with international best practices. Additionally, there will be a Maturity-Based Graded Accreditation system with five levels to encourage institutions to continuously improve and become globally recognized. The accreditation process will focus on processes, outcomes, and impact rather than just inputs. There will also be a special focus on rural and remote institutions through mentoring and support.
To ensure transparency and integrity in handling institutional data, a ‘One Nation One Data Platform’ will be established to capture a comprehensive set of data from HEIs for various purposes such as approval, accreditation, and ranking. Stakeholder validation will be included to improve the validity and reliability of the data. The new system will be trust and data-driven, with fewer visits for verification but heavy penalties for wrong submissions. Customized rankings based on stakeholders’ perspectives will also be made available.
The reforms will be implemented in two stages. The Binary Accreditation will be implemented in the next four months, during which no new applications will be accepted under the old methodology. Institutions applying during this period can choose either the old process or the new Binary Accreditation. The Maturity-Based Graded levels will be implemented by December 2024, following the recommendations of Dr. Radhakrishnan’s committee report. The reforms aim to create a friendly, easy, and smooth accreditation system and are expected to be fully implemented before the end of 2024.
