Chandrakant Patil, the Minister for Higher and Technical Education has appealed to Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan through a letter urging reforms in the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) process to encourage more evaluations for higher educational institutions. During a program in Pune attended by Pradhan, Patil personally handed over the letter outlining the proposed changes.
These reforms in the letter seek to address the low participation rate of educational institutions in NAAC assessments, despite their crucial role in helping students and parents make informed decisions about higher education choices. The state of Maharashtra has actively promoted NAAC assessments, including initiatives like the 'Paris Sparsh' scheme to assist smaller colleges in the evaluation process.
Low NACC Assessment in country
"Despite concerted efforts, only 20 percent of higher education institutions have undergone national-level assessment by NAAC. In addition to infrastructural challenges, the complicated process and the associated costs of the NAAC assessment process may be contributing to educational institutions' reluctance to engage in it. The All India Survey of Higher Education (AISHE) Report 2021 reveals that a significant 61.4 per cent of colleges are situated in rural areas across the country," the letter noted.
Patil emphasised the importance of acknowledging this rural context in the reform proposal, considering the unique circumstances and needs of these institutions.
