NAAC Set to Roll Out New Accreditation System, Ending 'Easy Grade' Era

In a transformative move aimed at strengthening credibility and rigor in higher education evaluation, the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) is set to roll out a new accreditation system that promises to overhaul how quality is measured and rewarded across Indian institutions.

In the coming 10 days, NAAC will formally launch its Basic Level Accreditation (BLA) system—a foundational framework designed to bring thousands of previously unaccredited colleges and universities into the accreditation fold. At the same time, it will release a draft policy for Maturity-Based Graded Accreditation, inviting public feedback on a new layered model that evaluates institutions through multiple tiers of institutional maturity.

Unlike the earlier system—often criticized for handing out high grades with minimal scrutiny—the new framework divides institutions across five ascending levels, each with stringent and transparent parameters. According to NAAC Chairman Prof. Anil Sahasrabudhe, reaching Level 4 or 5 will be particularly challenging, even for well-established universities.

In a major shift, NAAC will also adopt a binary accreditation system, where institutions will be labeled simply as "Accredited" or "Still-to-be Accredited"—moving away from the traditional A-to-D letter grade format. The Basic Level Accreditation will serve as the new entry point for first-time applicants, while those previously accredited can opt for the Maturity-Based Graded Level Accreditation, aligning with their scale and stage of development.

The new system is based on the recommendations of the Dr. Radhakrishnan Committee, constituted following media investigations into corruption and grade manipulation under the previous regime. NAAC believes this revamp will reorient accreditation as an evolving journey of quality enhancement rather than a one-time badge of honor.

As part of the transition, NAAC will finalize accreditation decisions for approximately 50 institutions still pending under the old system, after which the existing portal will be shut down. A new national accreditation portal is already in place to support the rollout of both BLA and Maturity-Based frameworks.

Despite the sweeping change, NAAC maintains that the move is not a mere procedural update, but a paradigm shift in how academic quality is assessed—from checklists to capacity building, from static scores to sustained growth.

This reform signals a broader national direction in higher education policy, where compliance, performance, and transparency are now foundational. Institutions must prepare to engage with a more demanding but more meaningful accreditation journey—or risk being left behind.

Stay tuned for more updates on India’s Accreditation Reforms!