NAAC revolutionises accreditation: Binary system for HEIs

The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) announced a transformative shift in the accreditation system for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the country. Instead of traditional grades, HEIs will now fall into two categories: “accredited” or “not accredited.” This decision, made during an executive council meeting, is part of a comprehensive reform plan to foster a quality culture in higher education.

The implementation of these reforms will occur in two stages. Firstly, within the next four months, a binary accreditation system will be introduced, simplifying the classification into either accredited or not accredited. This approach aligns with international best practices observed in many leading countries.

In addition, the NAAC will introduce Maturity-Based Graded Accreditation (Level 1 to 5) by December. This level-grading system aims to encourage accredited institutions to strive for excellence, with Level 5 representing “Institutions of Global Excellence for Multi-Disciplinary Research and Education.”

A senior official from the Ministry of Education emphasised that the binary accreditation system is designed to onboard all institutions into the accreditation process. This shift is expected to create a pervasive quality culture in higher education.

The Maturity-Based Graded Accreditation, based on levels, will empower Indian institutions to enhance their quality and elevate their standing on a global scale. The ultimate goal is for institutions to achieve the highest level, indicating global excellence in both research and education.

Previously, the assessment process relied on a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) to assign a final grade to institutions. However, the new approach discards this system in favor of a more straightforward binary classification and a level-based grading system, fostering a competitive spirit among HEIs to attain the highest level of accreditation.