Panel formed to get NAAC accreditation for Punjab colleges

Patiala, August 26

The Higher Education Department has formed a coordination committee comprising internal quality assurance cell (IQAC) directors at various universities to get colleges accredited with the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).

The criteria

The institutions are assessed on seven parameters and the process will begin from the government and govt-aided colleges. — Prof Karamjeet Singh, VC , Jagat Guru Nanak Dev Punjab state open university

Prof Karamjeet Singh, Vice Chancellor, Jagat Guru Nanak Dev Punjab State Open University, would prepare and train college staff for the purpose. The university has also been appointed as a nodal agency for the same.

The higher education institutions need to get themselves accredited in order to get grants from the central government. Of the 1,050 government, government-aided and private colleges in the state, only 150 were accredited with NAAC. Of these, 28 institutes were set to lose their accreditation by the end of October.

Ashwani Bhalla, Assistant Director, DPI Colleges, said, “There are 64 government colleges in the state. Of these, 16 have been set up recently, which are yet not eligible for the accreditation.”

Bhalla said, “The coordination committee comprising directors of the IQAC at Panjab University, Punjabi University and Guru Nanak Dev University will provide training to the college staff for getting accredited.”

Professor Karamjeet, who also happens to be a chairman of the committee , said, “The institutions are assessed on seven parameters. We will hold seminars and conferences. The process will begin from the government and government-aided colleges.”