Over 50 per cent of Odisha govt universities and colleges yet to get NAAC accreditation

At least 50% of the state public universities are yet to get accreditation from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). This was recently revealed by Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj in the Assembly.

The NAAC accreditation is mandatory for higher education institutions to receive funds from the Centre and the state government.

“Only eight out of 17 universities have received NAAC grade. Likewise, only 25 out of 66 government colleges have NAAC certification, leaving out 62.2% of the institutes. Similarly, out of 648 govt-aided colleges, only 212 have the accreditation, with around 67% missing out,” the Minister revealed.

Universities with NAAC Accreditation:

1.    Ravenshaw University, Cuttack (A++ grade)
2.    Utkal University, Bhubaneswar (A+ grade)
3.    Fakir Mohan University, Balasore (A)
4.    Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanje Deo University (MSCB), Baripada (A)
5.    Sambalpur University (A)
6.    Rama Devi Women’s University, Bhubaneswar (B++)
7.    Odisha State Open University (B++)
8.    Berhampur University (B)

Reason for NAAC Exclusion:

Three aspects taken into consideration to accord the NAAC accreditation is infrastructure, teachers, research and transparency. Once the accreditation is accorded, the institutions will get funds from the UGC (University Grants Commission), the RUSA (Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan) and the World Bank.

However, since most universities and colleges lack infrastructure and teachers, they are not fulfilling the criteria to get the certification.

What Steps Being Taken Now:

In his reply, the Minister stated that the government has started a smart classroom system, e-lectures, centres of excellence, Wi-Fi campuses, library automation, skill training e-resources for research scholars and students, fellowships, and seed funding for research.

Moreover, the government has reportedly sanctioned Rs 20 crore each to Gangadhar Meher University, Sambalpur; Odisha State Open University, Sambalpur; Rajendra University, Bolangir; Maa Manikeswari University, Bhawanipatna and Vikram Dev University in Jeypore.