The national assessment and accreditation council (NAAC) is important in the Indian education sector due to its ability to maintain quality and accountability. Currently, the NAAC has experienced numerous delays in introducing the new accreditation framework, which will use a binary system for accreditation and include maturity-based graded levels as part of the framework. Due to these delays, 24 universities and over 700 colleges are now extended within their current NAAC accreditation grades, as reported and documented by several news publications over the past year. These extensions do not eliminate the underlying risks associated with the ongoing transition in policy regarding the NAAC accreditation System. The key issue remains; are we waiting for clarity on the new framework or do we continue to work towards compliance with the framework? The key factors affected by the NAAC accreditation System are student admission, scholarship eligibility, distance learning and online programme approval, access to Government funding, and credibility of higher education institutions. Stakeholders including students, parents, employers, and both state and federal regulators continue to scrutinise the NAAC accreditation of higher education institutions. If there is a lapse in accreditation status or downgrading of an institution’s Accreditation status due to the transition process, the impact will be reduced student enrolment, loss of funding, and damage to an institution’s reputation. It is time for educators and administrators to be proactive in preparing for sustained compliance with the new framework.

While institutional extensions do provide extra time or “breathing room,” it’s proactive preparation that provides the real risk mitigation. Institutions that see this period as an opportunity to build and strengthen their internal process will be better prepared for when reassessments resume under the new evolved system.

Here is where various technology-based solutions such as NAAC Software and Mentoring Services can be most beneficial for academic institutions. The institutions that fully utilize these tools and systems can:

  1. Digitally document year-round documents related to NAAC and keep data organized and accessible at all times;
  2. Align all of the academic, administrative, and governance processes with the core NAAC criterion to establish a culture of continual improvement;
  3. Remain audit-ready no matter the change in timelines or frameworks;
  4. Avoid the disorganization of last-minute preparation, creating less stress and reducing typographical errors during the accreditation process.

In a time where the NAAC framework is continuing to be updated and changed in the expectation to become a more data-driven, transparent, and outcome-oriented/process-oriented accreditation process, academic institutions must still provide excellence in teaching, research, infrastructure, and student outcomes. Academic institutions that are lazy and do not take advantage of the opportunity for an extension will find it very costly.

Those who are leaders of their institutions and who wish to be at the forefront of building solid systems that can sustain themselves through any accreditation model (old or new) are taking the time that extended Institution NAAC grades provide to build these systems.

If your Institution will be in an extended Institution NAAC grade, or is preparing to begin a new NAAC review of your Institution, now is the best time to be proactive and invest in your Institutional Preparedness.