NAAC assessment a must for all educational institutions in Maha: Shailendra Deolankar
Maharashtra has reached top position in the country in terms of NAAC assessment due to the follow-up carried out by the higher education department
PUNE: With the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 prioritising the quality of education, it is mandatory for every educational institution in Maharashtra to undergo National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) assessment, state director of higher education Shailendra Deolankar said. Similarly, it is necessary for every educational institution in the state to undergo re-evaluation five years after the regular evaluation is carried out, he said. Maharashtra has reached top position in the country in terms of NAAC assessment due to the follow-up carried out by the higher education department, Deolankar said. However, the education department will not rest on its laurels; it will keep up the pressure on the rest of the colleges to undergo NAAC assessment.
Maharashtra has topped all states this year in terms of NAAC assessment due to which the state higher education department has been widely appreciated. Earlier, there was only an appeal from the education department to all colleges to undergo NAAC assessment. Since Deolankar has assumed office however, he has given top priority to NAAC assessment. “If the NAAC assessment is not carried out, the universities can withdraw the affiliation of the respective colleges; there is a provision in this regard in the Universities’ Act. That is why we have written to all the universities in this regard and asked for the report of NAAC assessment of all affiliated colleges. Also, clear instructions are being given to block first-year admissions of colleges that do not undergo NAAC assessment,” said Deolankar.
“The number of aided colleges in the state is 1,177 and the number of unaided colleges is 2,141. Due to the higher education department’s syllabus, most of the colleges have undergone NAAC assessments. Out of the total colleges in the state, 1,922 colleges have been evaluated. Karnataka ranks second in the country in the state evaluation process and 1,025 colleges in Karnataka have been evaluated. If we look at these figures, Maharashtra is almost two times ahead of the state of Karnataka. In a programme organised in Delhi on the occasion of three years of implementation of the NEP, Maharashtra was praised by all,” he said.
Under the guidance of the state higher and technical education minister Chandrakant Patil, the NEP is being implemented in the state. Deolankar asserted that the state stood first in terms of NAAC assessment due to their stance of not compromising on quality. “Efforts will be made to improve the quality of other colleges under the ‘Parisparsha Scheme’ of the state government. Also in future, there will be pressure to re-evaluate from the education department on colleges which did not undergo NAAC assessments and did not re-assess once the assessment was carried out. The higher education department is committed to ensure that 100% of the colleges in the state meet NAAC standards for the implementation of NEP and enhancement of educational quality. Unaided colleges will have to undergo NAAC assessment within the given timeframe,” Deolankar said.
