NAAC is planning to conduct five regional workshops in the coming months to gather feedback from different colleges and universities on the binary accreditation manual before launching the final launch.
Union Cabinet approved the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 on July 29, 2020, to reform the entire education system of India. The key aspect of the new education policy is to improve the quality of higher education. However, on the same lines, the Dr Radhakrishnan Committee recommended reforming the quality of higher education. These recommendations are approved by the Ministry of Education and adopted by NAAC.
The reform plan includes maturity-based graded levels and binary accreditation to enhance higher education standards. The Apex committee and various Discipline-wise Committees conducted over 40 meetings with stakeholders for their consultation to finalize the necessary processes and manuals for Binary Accreditation before implementing these changes.
Additionally, NAAC plans to involve the Higher Education Councils and Departments across the state to ensure their participation in the new accreditation process.
Dr Nirmaljeet Singh Kalsi, Former Chairperson of the National Council for Vocational Education and Training, talks about the importance of integrating skill development into the accreditation framework during the inaugural workshop. Moreover, he also highlighted the importance of the National Curriculum Framework and its relation to skill development.
Professor Kalsi also mentioned the need to update NAAC parameters driven by the new education policy, mainly integrating skill development and the national curriculum framework. He also discussed the major approaches for integrating skills into disciplines like social sciences and humanities. On top of everything, Professor Kalsi also proposed Education 5.0, which focuses on online and blended learning, further emphasizing the necessity to integrate innovations into the accreditation framework.
At the workshop, the Binary Accreditation Framework (BAF) was presented. The framework is derived from the 10 attributes proposed by the Dr Radhakrishnan Committee. Further, these attributes are classified on the basis of process, input, and outcome dimensions vital for accomplishing quality assurance in higher education.
The Binary Accreditation Framework (BAF) changes focus to outcome and its impact on the contribution of higher education to the country’s socio-economic development. The framework prioritizes accommodating the requirements of universities, autonomous and affiliated colleges. However, it captures the uniqueness of institutions impacting specific stakeholder groups.
Dr Devendra Kawday, Adviser, NAAC, described each metric, elucidating the rationale for new metrics crucial for the quality of higher education in the current context. NAAC organized the first five regional workshops in partnership with IISC Bengaluru on July 16.
NAAC is organizing workshops on ‘Binary Accreditation’
NAAC will conduct five regional workshops to collect feedback from universities and colleges on the binary accreditation manual before its official launch. Moreover, NAAC will conduct workshops in the coming months. NAAC will also engage with states’ higher education departments and councils to ensure widespread participation in the new accreditation process.
Source – https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2024/Jul/18/naac-introduces-major-reforms-in-higher-education-accreditation
