“WE HAVE TRANSFORMATIVE UNIVERSITIES AND WE ARE PROUD OF THAT”

Virander S Chauhan, Chairman, Executive Committee, National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), on why the ranking system needs to be expanded and research activities enhanced at institutions to achieve global standards

WHAT ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF NAAC’S (NATIONAL ASSESSMENT AND ACCREDITATION COUNCIL) REVISED FRAMEWORK WHICH CAME INTO EFFECT LAST YEAR?

The assessment and accreditation criteria doesn’t change very much. In fact, there are 17 criteria which are of international standard, some of which include research output, faculty student ratio, infrastructure and new courses, so the template to judge the quality of an institution more or less remains the same. What we have changed though is the system of assessment—the way we do it. The revised framework is technologyenabled that will help us receive relevant information on the institutions and we will verify that information. We have been getting feedback in the past from several institutions that visiting NAAC officials or from any other agency leads to misinterpretation of information and doesn’t clearly indicates if an institution is good or not. So, we have made the assessment completely objective and transparent. Due to international norms, we will still have a team visiting the institutions but the visits and interactions will be shorter. And about 70 per cent to 75 per cent of the assessment will now be done online and by the data provided by the institutions themselves.

TELL US ABOUT SOME OF THE KEY FOCUS AREAS WHERE INDIAN INSTITUTIONS NEED TO PERFORM BETTER?

Universities and even Indian Institute of Technology (IITs) are starved of infrastructure with poor hostel and sports facilities and bad food. None of the universities in India are funded to the extent a world-class university is. That said, I think we are doing a pretty good job given the money that is available. If you want to be counted in the top 200 or 250 then money is an essential requirement but not a sufficient condition. You also need commitment and total autonomy in hiring. Also, don’t forget that in the government institutions, it is our Constitution’s responsibility to have reservation and bring people into study. We mustn’t forget

A GOOD UNIVERSITY IS ONE WHICH EDUCATES AND NOT NECESSARILY SKILLS STUDENTS

that in the business of international ranking, we have 50 per cent of our students coming from weaker economic sections. Our universities are transformative universities and we are proud of that. Our nature of education is so different and while a global ranking is based on universities where research is done it is quite expensive in nature. We can do good research but for that we need to have a good infrastructure, the right attitude and promotions in the universities.

AS A REGULATORY BODY, WHAT CHALLENGES ARE YOU FACING FOR ASSESSMENT AND ACCREDITATION?

NAAC started in 1998 and the first assessment was done in 2000. Participating in the ranking system was voluntary for a long time but now it’s mandatory. The institutions are now realising that there is something called quality. I am not worried about it as I think that we are still at a nascent stage. It is important that we bring more people into the ambit of ranking.

WHAT ACCORDING TO YOU IS A GOOD UNIVERSITY?

I am very clear on this. A good university educates you and not necessarily skills you. So, an excellent institution teaches you how to be patient, it teaches you how to debate, gives you a sense of privilege, and a sense of serving the society. To me, a good university is one which gives importance to physical fitness—sports and extracurricular activities and produces all-rounders.