NAAC Bribery Misconduct: 10 Arrests from 6 Universities

In a major crackdown on corruption in the accreditation process, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested the chairman and six members of a NAAC Inspection Committee on February 1, 2025, for allegedly accepting bribes in exchange for favorable accreditation ratings. The CBI conducted raids across 20 locations in India, recovering ₹37 lakh (US$43,000) in cash, gold, and electronics. The bribes were reportedly offered by officials from a Guntur-based educational foundation operating KL University.

The arrests include officials from KL University, Bharath Institute of Law, Jagran Lakecity University, GL Bajaj Institute of Technology & Management, Davangere University, and Sambalpur University. Additionally, the CBI has taken 10 individuals into custody, including the chairman of the NAAC inspection committee, a vice-chancellor from Ramchandra Chandravansi University, and professors from multiple universities, along with three KLEF officials.

In response, the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) has banned Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation (KLEF) from submitting accreditation applications for the next five years. The move comes after the arrest of three top KLEF executives linked to the bribery case.

The case revolves around allegations that KLEF officials bribed an NAAC peer review team to secure a higher accreditation rating. In a decisive action, NAAC has permanently barred all seven peer review team members involved in the case from participating in any future NAAC assessments or activities.

Furthermore, NAAC has announced a review of recent assessments conducted by these members at other higher education institutions (HEIs) where results have not yet been declared. The results for these institutions will be withheld until reassessed by the NAAC Standing Committee. Additionally, NAAC will scrutinize visits from the past year, and any necessary actions will be taken by the Executive Committee (EC).

The arrests and subsequent actions signal a strict stance against corruption in the accreditation process, reinforcing NAAC’s commitment to transparency and fairness in evaluating higher education institutions across India.

Source: [India Today]