E-Paper
Beyond the NAAC rating: Challenge to transform scholarly landscape in UP varsities
Despite top grade by the agency, Lucknow University is positioned at 115th spot in NIRF rankings while three other UP universities are much behind it or not on the list
LUCKNOW Even as Lucknow University has reflected a perception of change in recent times after it was conferred the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) A++ rating in July last year, the impact on its scholarly achievements is yet to be seen. This applies not only on LU, but on three other state universities – Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Rohilkhand University (Bareilly), Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University and Chaudhary Charan Singh University (Meerut) – that also got the top rating from NAAC in the last six months.
A NAAC A++ rating is the highest rating that can be conferred upon a university. LU was evaluated on various points by NAAC and accredited with a CGPA of 3.55 on a seven-point scale.
Sample this: Jawaharlal Nehru University was rated as A++ by the NAAC with a grade point of 3.91 (on a scale of 4) and ranked number 2 among all universities by the National Institutional Ranking Framework, government of India, in 2023. Jamia Milia University also has A++ and is at number 3 spot in the NIRF rankings. In contrast, LU is positioned at 115th spot in the rankings while the other three UP universities are much behind it or either not on the list.
The most pertinent question - has the quality of higher education improved in these four universities in recent times?
This year, very few students from LU cracked the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam. While students cracked many other competitive exams, it was UPSC where university students did not taste much success.
While the rankings serve as valuable indicators, students are advised to consider multiple factors when selecting an educational institution. Academic programmes, faculty expertise, extra-curricular opportunities, personal goals, and individual preferences should all be weighed alongside rankings to make well-informed decisions, said academicians.
Toppers of board examinations, after cracking IIT-JEE/NEET/CLAT, prefer to get into professional courses while many others who clear exams with flying colours prefer to get into Delhi University and its affiliated colleges by cracking the Common University Entrance Test (CUET). A few opt for Mumbai, Pune and Bengaluru in pursuit of higher studies.
But there are exceptional cases too. Sample this: Neelanjana Mitra, topper of Navyug Radiance Senior Secondary School, who scored 98.2% with humanities, wants to pursue BA from IT College and make a career in the teaching profession. “IT College is affiliated to LU that has been rated as A++ by NAAC. I am happy to stay here and study at one of the prestigious all-women’s colleges in the city,” she said.
Flawed ranking, mismatched quality
Former vice-chancellor of CSJMU, Kanpur, and Gorakhpur University, claimed there is definitely a mismatch between the ranking and the quality of higher education. To prove this point, he said why is it that four UP universities that got A++ from NAAC do not figure among the top 100 institutions in the NIRF rankings by the ministry of education.
The fact remains that both are recognised by the University Grants Commission. He said, “One does not know which of these two rankings to rely on as both take into account parameters like research work, teacher- taught ratio, student placements and many other elements. One has to figure out which of these rankings to trust.”
This year in March, NAAC chairperson Bhushan Patwardhan resigned days after he alleged that some higher education institutions were obtaining grades through “unfair means”. Patwardhan had written to the UGC stating that he flagged the “possibility of vested interests, malpractices, and nexus” leading to “the awarding of questionable grades to some” higher education institutions and also expressed his intent to resign.
A senior professor of LU also questioned the system of NAAC evaluation. He said NAAC introduced star ratings in early 2000. They switched to this grading system because there was a flaw in the star rating. “Now, the existing grading system has been questioned by the former NAAC chairperson,” he said.
VACANT TEACHING POSTS
There are a number of departments in the university, which do not have regular teachers since inception. They are being managed by contractual teachers only. There is not a single regular teacher in the entire faculty of engineering, faculty of yoga, institute of pharmacy, institute of management sciences, institute of tourism and food processing.
LU opened the faculty of engineering in 2018-19, institute of pharmacy in 2021-22, institute of management science in the 1990s and the institute of tourism studies in 1997. Thousands of students have graduated over the years from these faculties and institutes, but the university has not appointed any regular teacher. University officials said teaching positions are created by the state government in association with the UGC.
For instance, till June 2023, the number of regular teachers was 383. Of these, 19 teachers retired on June 30 this year. This leaves the number of regular teachers to 364. In 3.5 years, the university has appointed 83 new teachers. LU has 519 teaching positions, of which 136 is still vacant. The university has hired about 200 contractual teachers, several guest faculty and other subject experts.
Attendance hardly matters
The student strength at LU is about 18,000 (both old and new campus). On paper, universities made 75% attendance mandatory for students to appear in the exam but in reality this system is a failure. No state university adheres to it except in rare professional courses where teachers tend to remain little strict with attendance. By and large the university has not been able to make attendance compulsory for its students. As a result rows of empty benches are a common sight.
“In fact universities would really struggle to accommodate students if 100% of students turn up to attend classes. They only come to write their examinations. In several cases be it at undergraduate or postgraduate level, neither students nor teachers get to know each other for the entire semester. Many of the students take admission and prepare separately for various competitive exams,” said a retired professor of LU who does not wish to be identified.
Keeping session on track a challenge
State universities face a stiff challenge to bring the academic session on track, after two years of pandemic (2020 and 2021) hit the session badly. The semester exams and subsequent declaration of results got delayed. Now, efforts are on to bring the session on track by March 2025.
The positive side
LU’s improved rankings have led to significant enhancements in placement opportunities, student diversity, international interest, and participation of top companies for campus placements, claimed Prof Poonam Pandey, dean of academics at LU.
“The recognition bestowed upon the institution has attracted leading companies, who now actively participate in recruitment drives, offering students a wide array of placement options,” she added.
“A highly rated university not only enhances the reputation and credibility of the institution, but also establishes a trustworthy image before its stakeholders. Students are assured about the quality of education they will receive,” said Prof Nishi Pandey of LU.
“Accredited universities find recognition by international educational institutions/agencies/organisations, and for the students, a whole world of opportunities opens up,” she added.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A VARSITY?
While many Indian universities have achieved high NAAC ratings of A+ and A ++, here’s a checklist of the key features we should look for in top-ranked universities, says Dr Amrita Dass, founder director, Institute for Career Studies (ICS), Lucknow
1. ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE A strong commitment to academic excellence with high standards in teaching and research while offering a wide range of rigorous and diverse academic programmes.
2. EXCEPTIONAL FACULTY MEMBERS They should be experts in their respective fields with a strong blend of academic qualifications, research experience, published works and teaching expertise.
3. RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES Provision of ample opportunities to students for engaging in innovative research projects. All the departments should be involved with ground-breaking research across various disciplines and promote collaboration between faculty and students.
4. STUDENT SUPPORT The well-being and success of students is vital. Hence, they should have access to extensive support services, including academic advice, tutoring, opportunities for extracurricular involvement, wellness programmes, career counselling and job placements.
5. DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION Another important feature is an inclusive learning environment that fosters cross-cultural understanding and appreciation.
6 .GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT This includes collaborations and partnerships with other institutions for meaningful international programmes, studies abroad opportunities and a culturally diverse community on campus.
7. STATE-OF-THE-ART INFRA Substantial investment in modern facilities, libraries, laboratories and technology to support research, innovation, and learning.
