Ranking & Accreditation of Higher Education Key Entities in India

“Ranking & Accreditation of
Higher Education Institutions”
Dr. Vijay Kr. Khurana
Professor in Management, MAIMS, Delhi
Dr. Vijay. Kr. Khurana

Rankings
What are rankings?
• Rankings of institutions are conducted by magazines, newspapers,
websites, governments, or academics.
• At global level, some prominent ranking entities are – Forbes (USA),
CSE (Sweden), University Guide (UK), BCUR (China), EdUniversal
(France), QS (UK), Times (UK), The Economist (UK) etc.
• In India, some Financial/ Economic/ Business Magazines involved in
ranking are – Outlook India, Business World, India Today, Dataquest
etc.
• NIRF under MHRD - carries out ranking of colleges and universities

What is accreditation?
• Higher education accreditation is a type of quality assurance
process, under which services & operations of higher educational
institutions or their programs are evaluated by an external entity to
determine, if applicable standards are met.
• If applicable standards are met, then accredited status is granted by
the external entity.

What is accreditation?
Contd …
• Some accreditation agencies in USA are : - Accrediting Commission of
Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC), Accrediting Council for Continuing
Education and Training (ACCET), Accrediting Council for Independent
Colleges and Schools (ACICS) etc.
• In India, National Board of Accreditation (NBA) accredits AICTE approved
technical programmes, such as engineering and management
programmes etc.; and National Assessment & Accreditation Council
(NAAC) accredits colleges and universities and awards grades.
• National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers
(NABH) is a constituent board of Quality Council of India, set up to
establish and operate accreditation program for healthcare organizations.

Context of Washington Accord
• The Washington Accord is an international agreement between
different bodies which accredit the engineering and other
technical undergraduate programs.
• The main objective of the accord is - to recognize and facilitate the
standardization of professional courses which are accredited by
its member bodies.
• The NBA of India became a provisional member of the
Washington Accord (WA) in 2007 and was given the status of
permanent signatory on 13th June, 2014.

Effects of the Washington Accord
• It will facilitate effective interchange of international resources.
• Indian students could reach for career opportunities from many
foreign nations which were previously unattainable because of
the lateral dissimilarities of the education system.
• Indian universities and institutions will rise to the international
standards and their programs will be considered valid across the
globe.

What are the benefits of ranking & accreditation
of higher education institutions?
 For the Institutions
a. Institutions come to know their strengths, weaknesses, and
opportunities through an informed review process
b. Institutions are able to identify internal areas of planning and
make better resource allocation
c. Institutions are encouraged to initiate innovative and modern
methods of pedagogy

 For the Institutions… contd…
d. It provides new sense of direction and identity for institutions
e. It promotes intra and inter-institutional interactions
f. It helps institutions to improve quality in education
g. Rankings help to maintain and build institutional position and
reputation.

 For Other Stakeholders
a. The society gets reliable information on quality of education
imparted by the institution
b. Employers get reliable information on the quality of education
imparted by the Institution to the prospective recruits
c. Funding agencies get objective data for funding various
activities of the Institutions.

Ranking & Accreditation of
Higher Education Institutions
• Why are the ranking and accreditation of higher education
institutions required?
• Which entities conduct ranking and accreditation of higher
education institutions in India?
• What is the process for ranking and accreditation?

Why are the ranking & accreditation of higher education
institutes required?
 International Study
• Around 2013, Gallup, an American analytics and advisory company,
conducted a study on linkage between - education received by
students (inputs) and corporate success of pass-out students (output).
• No. of participants in the study – nearly 1 Million stakeholders
• One of the key findings – was –
a. 96 % of the college administrators, college heads & key college
persons believed that their colleges were successfully preparing
young people for the workplace.
b. Only 14 % of recent college graduates said that they have been
prepared and trained for workplace by their colleges.
c. Only 11 % of business leaders strongly agreed that they are getting
enough college graduates with the skills they need.

 How do you view the situation highlighted by the firm Gallup?
• It is clearly an understanding gap. College administrators, pass-
out students and industry leaders have highly different opinions
about quality of pass-out students.
• Colleges are not able to think from industry’s/ other
stakeholders’ perspectives.
• Colleges seem to have tendency to go for false self-patting.
• Thus third party/ external agency assessment should force
colleges to plan better and improve due to incorporation of
other stakeholders’ perspectives.

 Indian Studies
• In 2009, a NASSCOM-McKinsey report highlighted that only
26 % of engineers in India were employable.
• In 2017, a study by Aspiring Minds created a stir by claiming
that only 5 % of engineers in India were fit for software
development jobs.
• As per the India skill report 2017 by NITI Aayog, about 40 % of
the educated youth are employable.
• According to the India Skills Report by ‘Wheebox’, ‘People
Strong’ and ‘CII’, only 46 % of the students are found to be
employable in 2019 against only 33 % in 2014.

institutions is required?
 How do you view Indian situation highlighted by Indian Studies?
• If we take average of various employability reports, it can be seen
that less than 40% pass-out students have employment potential.
• More than 60% of pass-out students i.e. college output does not
meet industry requirements i.e. the quality is not up-to the mark.
• In manufacturing sector, firms fix a target of zero defects.
• What type of targets for quality in education, have we (colleges/
teachers) fixed for ourselves?
• Thus third party/ external agency assessment should force colleges
to plan better, and improve due to incorporation of other
stakeholders’ perspectives.

Which entities conduct ranking & accreditation
of higher education institutions in India?

Rankings under
“National Institutional Ranking Framework”
(NIRF)

About NIRF
Constitution
• The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) is a
methodology adopted by the Ministry of Human Resource
Development (MHRD), Government of India, to rank institutions
of higher education in India.
• The Framework was approved by the MHRD and launched by
Minister of Human Resource Development on 29th Sep 2015.
• Website https://www.nirfindia.org/Home

Who can apply for Ranking under NIRF?
 Eligibility for Application
• Applications for rakings will be considered only for those
institutions that have graduated at least three (3) batches of
students in full time UG or PG programs, where the duration is
not less than three (3) years for the UG programs, and two (2)
years for the PG programs.

What are various categories of applications under NIRF?
 Categories of Applications
• There can be ‘overall’ or ‘discipline specific’ applications for
rankings.
• Thus there are separate rankings depending on the areas of
operation like -
a. Overall - Universities / colleges,
b. Engineering discipline
c. Management discipline
d. Pharmacy discipline
e. Law discipline
f. Architecture etc.

Example - Parameters Used for Assessing “Overall
Category Applicants” Followed under NIRF

Ranks Awarded under NIRF
 Significance of Ranks
• Ranks based on the NIRF were published for the first time in 2016.
• Ranks are allotted if there are sufficient number of applications
for a category.
• The ranking score given to the universities/ colleges is a relative
score, not absolute score.
• It reflects the yearly performance of the institutions.

Accreditation
by
“National Board of Accreditation”
(NBA)

What is NBA ?
Constitution
• NBA, or the National Board of Accreditation, is an autonomous
government body that provides accreditation for various technical
and professional programs of institutions across the country.
• NBA was set up initially as a body under AICTE in 1994, and it
became an autonomous body in the year 2014.
• Website https://www.nbaind.org/

Who can apply for accreditation to NBA?
• The Institution and the programs run by it , should be approved
by the AICTE, and at least two batches of students should have
passed out of the programme proposed for accreditation except
for the management programmes.
• In case of a Management programme, at least three batches
should have graduated.

What are various Categories of Applications under NBA?
• The NBA accredits programmes of following disciplines at
Diploma, Undergraduate (UG), and Postgraduate (PG) levels:
a. Engineering & Technology
b. Architecture
c. Pharmacy,
d. Hotel Management and Catering Technology
e. Management (PG only)
f. Computer Applications (PG/ MCA only)

Example - Criteria for assessing
Diploma Engineering Programs under NBA
Criterion
No.
Description Marks
1 Vision, Mission and Program Educational Objectives 50
2 Program Curriculum and Teaching –Learning Processes 200
3 Course Outcomes and Program Outcomes 100
4 Student’s Performance 200
5 Faculty Information and Contributions 150
6 Facilities And Technical Support 100
7 Continuous Improvement 75
8 Student Support Systems 50
9 Governance, Institutional Support & Financial Resources 75

Accreditation by NBA
• The NBA accredits programs, not institutions.
• Accreditation practises are heavily based on Outcome Based Education
(OBE).
• Outcome-Based Education (OBE) emphasizes that by the end of the
program, each student is expected to achieve desirable outcomes
(in terms of knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviour).
• Programs are accredited initially for a period of 3 years, and 6 years for
full accreditation.

Accreditation
by
“National Assessment and Accreditation Council”
(NAAC)

What is NAAC ?
• The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) is
an organisation that assesses and accredits higher education
Institutions (HEIs) in India (Other than those covered under
NBA etc.).
• It is an autonomous body funded by University Grants
Commission (UGC), and is headquartered in Bangalore.
• Website http://www.naac.gov.in/
• The Revised Assessment and Accreditation Framework was
launched by NAAC in July 2017.

Number of Organizations Accredited so far by NAAC
• As of 11th Mar 2020, 609 universities and 12790 colleges were
accredited by NAAC.
• Out of these, 208 universities and 1697 colleges were accredited
with grade ‘A’.

Who can apply for Accreditation to NAAC?
• Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), with a record of at least two
batches of students graduated, or which have been in existence
for six years, whichever is earlier, are eligible to apply

What are various categories of applications under NAAC?
1. Separate manuals have been provided for:
a. General Institutions
b. Health Science Institutions
c. Sanskrit Institutions
d. Open University
e. Dual Mode Universities
f. Teacher Education Institutions
2. For General Institutions, 3 sub-categories are as follows :
a. Universities
b. Autonomous colleges
c. Affiliated/Constituent (UG, PG)Colleges

Assessment and Accreditation of
General Institutions
Under
NAAC

Quality Indicator Framework (QIF) under NAAC
• The 7 Criteria to serve as basis for assessment of HEIs are:
1. Curricular Aspects
2. Teaching-Learning and Evaluation
3. Research, Innovations and Extension
4. Infrastructure and Learning Resources
5. Student Support and Progression
6. Governance, Leadership and Management
7. Institutional Values and Best Practices
Total Score - 1000 approx. for each category of applicant
• Under each Criterion a few Key Indicators are identified.
• These Key Indicators (KIs) are further delineated/ demarcated
as Metrics which actually seek responses from the HEIs.

Distribution of Metrics and KIs across Criteria under NAAC
Type of HEIs Universities
Autonomous
Colleges
Affiliated/
Constituent
Colleges
UG PG
Criteria 7 7 7 7
Key Indicators (KIs) 34 34 31 32
Qualitative Metrics (QlM) 36 35 35 36
Quantitative Metrics
(QnM)
79 72 58 60
Total Metrics (QlM + QnM) 115 107 93 96

Criterion 1
Criterion
no.
Key Indicators (KIs) Universities Autonomous
Colleges
Affiliated/
Constituent
Colleges
UG PG
1.
Curricular
Aspects
1.1 *(U)Curriculum Design
and Development
50 50 NA NA
1.1. *(A) Curricular Planning
and Implementation
NA NA 20 20
1.2 Academic Flexibility 50 40 30 30
1.3 Curriculum Enrichment 30 40 30 30
1.4 Feedback System 20 20 20 20
Total 150 150 100 100

Criterion 1 : Curricular Aspects
• Why is criterion 1 important?
• What should be done to provide quality education and score
maximum for criterion 1 during assessment & accreditation
process?

Criterion 2
Criterion
no.
Key Indicators (KIs) Universities
Autonomous
Colleges
Affiliated/
Constituent
Colleges
UG PG
2.
Teaching-
Learning
and
Evaluation
2.1 Student Enrolment and
Profile
10 20 40 40
2.2 Catering to Student
Diversity
20 30 50 50
2.3 Teaching-Learning
Process
20 50 50 50
2.4 Teacher Profile and Quality 50 50 60 60
2.5 Evaluation Process and
Reforms
40 50 30 30
2.6 Student Performance and
Learning Outcomes
30 50 60 60
2.7 Student satisfaction Survey 30 50 60 60
Total 200 300 350 350

Criterion 2 : Teaching - Learning & Evaluation
process?

Examples of Great Teachers/ Mentors
 Great Teachers & Their Students
• Lord Parshuram - Guru Vishwamitra & Mahrishi Richik
• Lord Rama – Guru Vashishta & Guru Vishwamitra
• Luv Kush – Bhagwan Valmiki
• Lord Krishna – Guru Sandipani
• Arjun – Guru Dronacharya
• King Chandergupta Maurya – Guru Chanakya/ Kautilya/
Vishnu Gupt
• King Alaxender/ Sikander – Guru Aristotle etc.
 Such is the impact of the great teachers that both teachers &
students are highly revered.

Criterion 3
Criterion
no.
Autonomous
Colleges
Affiliated/
Constituent
Colleges
UG PG
3.
Research,
Innovations
and
Extension
3.1 Promotion of Research
and Facilities
20 20 NA NA
3.2 Resource Mobilization
for Research
20 10 15 15
3.3 Innovation Ecosystem 30 10 NA 10
3.4 Research Publications
and Awards
100 30 15 25
3.5 Consultancy 20 10 NA NA
3.6 Extension Activities 40 50 60 50
3.7 Collaboration 20 20 20 20
Total 250 150 110 120

Criterion 3 : Research, Innovations & Extension
process?

Need for Promotion of Research & Innovation
Vargas-Hernandez, Jose, G. and Hernandez, Andrea Bejarano
(2017, April).
Development of Entrepreneurship in ZMG: Growth Startups and
Precursor of Innovation and Economic Development.
MAIMS Journal of Management, Vol. 12, No.1.
• Only teachers and students at Stanford University, by working
together on research & innovation, have created 40,000
companies and generated 5.4 million jobs since 1930.
• These businesses generated an added value of 2.7 trillion dollars
that is more than the size of the Mexican economy.”

Need for Promotion of Research

Innovation eco-system needs to be nurtured
• According to the Report of National Innovation Initiative (NII) of
USA (2004), innovation made the USA an economic leader of the
world for more than the last two centuries.
- The USA needs to continue as a leader in innovation or abdicate
its position in world economics.
• Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, at the 3rd award function of the National
Innovation Foundation (NIF) in January 2005 said,
- “only by unleashing the creative potential of our scientists and
innovators at the grass-roots level, we can make India truly self-
reliant and a leader in sustainable technologies.”

Criterion 4
Criterion
no.
Key Indicators
(KIs)
Universities
Autonomous
Colleges
Affiliated/
Constituent
Colleges
UG PG
4.
Infrastructure
and Learning
Resources
4.1 Physical Facilities 30 30 30 30
4.2 Library as a
Learning
Resource
20 20 20 20
4.3 IT Infrastructure 30 30 30 30
4.4 Maintenance of
Campus
Infrastructure
20 20 20 20
Total 100 100 100 100

Criterion 4 : Infrastructure & Learning Resources
process?

Whether creation of state of art infrastructure &
libraries are sufficient?
• No, it is just a first step.
• It must be sufficient and regularly utilized for creating an enabling
environment for teachers & students for promoting research,
innovation, leadership, entrepreneurship, value-adding programs,
and facilitating holistic development of students.
• Focus of the NAAC assessment will be upon following issues:
• (i) Whether up-to-date infrastructure & library resources exist?
• (ii) Are these sufficient to meet requirements?
• (ii) Are these being effectively utilized?

Criterion 5
Criterion
no.
Autonomous
Colleges
Affiliated/
Constituent
Colleges
UG PG
5.
Student
Support and
Progression
5.1 Student Support 30 30 50 50
5.2 Student
Progression
40 30 30 25
5.3 Student
Participation and
Activities
20 30 50 45
5.4 Alumni
Engagement
10 10 10 10
Total 100 100 140 130

Criterion 5 : Student Support & Progression
process?

What is the importance of student support and progression?
 Let us revisit the International Study discussed earlier
• Around 2013, Gallup, an American analytics and advisory company,
conducted a study on linkage between - education received by students
(inputs) and corporate success of pass-out students (output)
• No. of participants in the study – nearly 1 Million stakeholders
• Another key finding – was –
a. Successful students said that (i) they had one or more teachers who
were their mentors, or (ii) they had an internship where they applied
their college learnings.
b. Only 22% students said that they had such a mentor; and only 29 %
students had an internship where they applied their college learnings.
c. Such graduates were twice as likely to be engaged with their work and
thriving in their overall well-being.

What are the benefits of student support & progression?
 Many educationists including respected Dr. Nand Kishore Garg
ji, Founder & Advisor - MATES & Chancellor - Maharaja
Agrasen University, have emphasized time and again that >
 “if every teacher is able to ignite a positive spark in the life of
even one student in an academic year and mentors him/ her,
then most problems of India will subside quickly due to positive
chain impact.”

How colleges/ teachers can extend support to students?

Colleges/ teachers need to nurture the spirit of social responsibility

Criterion 6
Criterion no. Key Indicators (KIs) Universities
Autonomous
Colleges
Affiliated/
Constituent
Colleges
UG PG
6.
Governance,
Leadership
and
Management
6.1 Institutional vision
and Leadership
10 10 10 10
6.2 Strategy Development
and Deployment
10 10 10 10
6.3 Faculty
Empowerment
Strategies
30 30 30 30
6.4 Financial Management
and Resource Mobilization
20 20 20 20
6.5 Internal Quality
Assurance System
30 30 30 30
Total 100 100 100 100

Criterion 6 : Governance, Leadership and Management
process?

Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) under NAAC
• Whether NAAC or NBA ask for it not, it is highly beneficial to have
IQAC.
• Mere usage of the word IQAC pushes up the branding of the
Institute.
• Mere name is enough (Naam Hi Kaafi Hai - in Hindi)
• If IQAC cell is properly operational, then it provides positive
addition to an already good/fruitful/beneficial situation at the
Institute.
• Fully operational IQAC means - “cherry on top” or “cherry on cake”
or “icing on the cake” (Sone pe suhaga - in Hindi)

Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) under NAAC
• Every accredited institution is required to establish an Internal
Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) as a quality sustenance measure.
• IQAC may be constituted under the Chairmanship of the Head of the
institution along-with heads of important academic and
administrative units and a few teachers and a few distinguished
educationists and representatives of local management and other
stakeholders.
• IQAC should meet at least once in every quarter. The quorum for the
meeting shall be two-third of the total number of members.
• IQAC as a part of the internal system, needs to steer the institution
towards achieving the goals of academic excellence and ensuring
quality higher education.

Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) under NAAC …contd…
• Vision of IQAC:
- To ensure quality culture as the prime concern for the Higher
Education Institution through institutionalizing and internalizing
all the initiatives taken with internal and external support.
• Objectives/ primary aims of IQAC are -
- To develop a system for conscious, consistent and catalytic action
to improve the academic and administrative performance of the
institution.
- To promote measures for institutional functioning towards
quality enhancement through internalization of quality culture
and institutionalization of best practices.

Criterion 7
Criterion no. Key Indicators (KIs) Universities
Autonomous
Colleges
Affiliated/
Constituent
Colleges
UG PG
7.
Institutional
Values
and Best
Practices
7.1 Institutional Values
and Social
Responsibilities
50 50 50 50
7.2 Best Practices 30 30 30 30
7.3 Institutional
Distinctiveness
20 20 20 20
Total 100 100 100 100

Criterion 7 : Institutional Values and Best Practices
process?

Colleges/ teachers need to promote inclusive practices
• According to the Report of National Innovation Initiative (NII) of
USA (2004), innovation made the USA an economic leader of the
world for more than the last two centuries.
- The USA needs to continue as a leader in innovation or abdicate
its position in world economics.
• Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, at the 3rd award function of the National
Innovation Foundation (NIF) in January 2005 said,
- “only by unleashing the creative potential of our scientists and
innovators at the grass-roots level, we can make India truly self-
reliant and a leader in sustainable technologies.”

In a nut shell / To Sum Up

To
Sum
Up

What is the process for assessment &
accreditation?

NAAC’s Process of Assessment & Accreditation
1. Eligible HEIs seeking A&A are required to submit Institutional
Information for Quality Assessment (IIQA) online any time during
the year. IIQA fee is Rs. 25,000/= + G.S.T 18% (Non-refundable).
2. After the acceptance of IIQA, the institution will be asked to fill the
Self Study Report (SSR) with the required documents to be uploaded
in the portal of NAAC website within 45 days. Then 50% of
additional fee for Assessment & Accreditation becomes payable.
3. SSR comprises both Qualitative and Quantitative metrics. The
Quantitative Metrics (QnM) add up to about 70% and the remaining
about 30% are Qualitative Metrics (QlM).
4. After submission of SSR on NAAC portal, HEI would receive an auto
generated link/ID of SSR in their registered email id. The same SSR in
.pdf format should be then uploaded on institutional website.

 Contd…
5. The data submitted on Quantitative Metrics (QnM) will be subjected to
validation exercise with the help of Data Validation and Verification (DVV)
process done by NAAC.
6. The process of Data Validation and Verification (DVV) by NAAC will be
done in not more than 30 days.
7. Pre-qualifier: The Quantitative Metrics (QnM) of SSR will be sent for Data
Validation and Verification (DVV) Process. After DVV process, a DVV
deviation report will be generated.
8. On the basis of the deviation report, the A&A process will proceed
further, subject to conditions that HEI should score at least 25% in
Quantitative Metrics (QnM) as per the final score after the DVV Process.

 Contd…
9. Student Satisfaction Survey (SSS):
• SSS will be conducted simultaneously with DVV process.
• Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have to strictly upload data of at least
50% of currently enrolled students as per data template format of excel
sheet given in the NAAC portal.
• The SSS questionnaire (20 objective & 01 subjective) will be e-mailed to
all students.
• For colleges – (UG/PG and Autonomous) responses should be received
from at least 10% of the student population or 100, whichever is lesser.
• For Universities – 10% of the student population or 500, whichever is
lesser.
• If response is lesser than stipulated, then metric will not be evaluated.
• SSS will be completed within one month after its initiation.

 Contd…
10. Peer Team visit of the institution should not exceed 3 months after
clearance of Pre-qualifier stage.
11. Based on the size & scope of academic offerings at the HEIs, the
number of days and experts for onsite visit may vary from 2-3 days with 2-5
expert reviewers visiting the institutions.
12. The responses to Qualitative Metrics (QlM) will be reviewed by the
Peer Team on site.
13. The institutions need to add a link in home page of their institutional
website for NAAC records/files viz., SSR, Peer Team Report, AQAR,
Certificate of NAAC and Accreditation documents etc., for easy access by its
stakeholders. The said link should be clearly visible/ highlighted (without
password).

14. The final result of the Assessment and Accreditation exercise will
be an ICT based score, using a combination of evaluation of
qualitative and quantitative metrics. This will be compiled as a
document comprising three parts:
a. PART I - Peer Team Report – 4 sections
b. PART II - Graphical representation based on Quantitative
Metrics (QnM)
c. PART III - Institutional Grade Sheet
• The above three parts together form “NAAC Accreditation
Outcome” document.
• It is mandatory for the HEIs to display it on their institutional
website.

What grades are awarded on completion of
assessment & accreditation process?

The Final Grade
Range of institutional
CGPA
Letter Grade Performance Descriptor
3.51 – 4.00 A++ Accredited
3.26 – 3.50 A+ Accredited
3.01 – 3.25 A Accredited
2.76 – 3.00 B++ Accredited
2.51 – 2.75 B+ Accredited
2.01 – 2.50 B Accredited
1.51 – 2.00 C Accredited
≤ 1.50 D Not Accredited

Ranking & Accreditation of Higher Education Key Entities in India

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