Patil writes to union education minister about NAAC assessment-related issues

Even in terms of the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, it is necessary to have good quality colleges

PUNE: Even though Maharashtra ranks first in the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) assessment in the country, nearly 50% of unaided colleges in the state have not yet undertaken NAAC assessment. What’s more, the reason why most of these colleges have not undergone NAAC assessment is the astronomical costs involved in the process.

Chandrakant Patil, on behalf of the Maharashtra government, has now sent a letter to union education minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, urging the latter to make necessary amendments in the NAAC evaluation process and reduce the expenditure involved. (HT PHOTO)

Which is precisely why state higher and technical education minister, Chandrakant Patil, on behalf of the Maharashtra government, has now sent a letter to union education minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, urging the latter to make necessary amendments in the NAAC evaluation process and reduce the expenditure involved.

Even in terms of the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, it is necessary to have good quality colleges. Which is also why the state higher education department is insisting that all colleges in the state undergo NAAC assessment. The department has shown willingness to provide the necessary help from the government.

Presently, a college has to pay around ₹4 lakhs to undergo NAAC assessment; a cost which is unaffordable for colleges with low enrolment in rural areas. That is why many educational institutions do not undertake NAAC assessment even if they want to because they cannot afford the costs.

Against this background, Patil has taken the initiative and sent a letter to Pradhan on behalf of the state government to reduce the expenditure incurred for NAAC assessment. In response, Pradhan has organised a meeting with the NAAC officer in the coming week, and will make efforts to iron out the difficulties encountered in the NAAC assessment.

Director of higher education of the state, Shailendra Deolankar, said, “The state government is committed to providing quality education to the students of the state. Under the leadership of the minister of higher and technical education of the state, Chandrakant Patil, all colleges should undertake NAAC assessment. Efforts are being made for this at various levels. Many colleges do not undertake NAAC assessment because they have financial issues. So, it is being checked if the cost of NAAC assessment can be reduced from ₹4 lakhs to around ₹1.5 lakhs. It is also being checked if the grading system given in the NAAC assessment can be changed; in this regard, correspondence with the central government and a request to NAAC to facilitate the process of assessment will be made. Therefore, more and more colleges in the state will come under the NAAC evaluation process.”