NAAC Revamp: 2-Member Peer Team, Last-Minute Disclosure!

In the wake of a bribery scandal involving fake peer reviews and grading corruption, the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) has implemented significant reforms to overhaul its accreditation process. These changes aim to bolster security, ensure greater transparency, and restore credibility in the evaluation of higher education institutions (HEIs).

As part of the new measures, colleges will undergo an entirely online peer team visit, with only two assessors involved. The meeting link will be shared with institutions just five minutes before the session begins, preventing any attempts to influence assessors. For universities, a hybrid model will be employed, with the peer team disclosed only two days prior to the visit, further strengthening the integrity of the process.

To ensure the highest level of accountability, HEIs will be required to maintain continuous video surveillance using GPS-enabled cameras during assessments. Additionally, contact with assessors outside of scheduled sessions will be prohibited. Institutions will also need to provide their own infrastructure for seamless connectivity during the visit. Extravagant hospitality and cultural programs are strongly discouraged, with a focus on maintaining a professional and unbiased environment.

After the visit, the peer team chairperson will email a draft report to the head of the HEI. A 15-minute discussion will follow to conclude the visit and address any final concerns. Notably, alumni will now be required to attend meetings in person, ensuring a more authentic and transparent evaluation process.

These sweeping changes follow a recent CBI investigation that led to the arrest of assessors and agents allegedly involved in taking bribes to manipulate NAAC grades. As a direct result of this scandal, NAAC has dismissed 900 assessors and invalidated several questionable accreditations.

The reforms mark a significant step toward restoring fairness in the accreditation process, reaffirming NAAC’s commitment to providing reliable, unbiased assessments of HEIs in India.

Stay tuned for more updates on Higher Education Accreditation!