As the Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) pushed ahead with its goal of creating a State Assessment and Accreditation Centre (SAAC), a section of the academia has raised caution over the possible pitfalls of undertaking the venture in haste.
Former member of the KSHEC executive council R. Jayaprakash held the view that imposing two types of assessment and accreditation, i.e., under the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) as well as the proposed SAAC, was contradictory and could lead to widespread confusion among higher education institutions.
“Instead, the SAAC must function as a substitute for NAAC and not as its subsidiary. The KSHEC must work towards setting up a recognised accreditation agency which could undertake the functions of NAAC and possess the same set of privileges with recognition of the UGC. The establishment of a full-fledged assessment and accreditation council will improve the quality of higher education institutions in the State,” Dr. Jayaprakash said.
Regarding the measures being adopted by the government to make SAAC accreditation mandatory for obtaining grants henceforth, Dr. Jayaprakash said that funds were generally allotted to institutions by Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), University Grants Commission (UGC), Department of Science and Technology (DST) and other funding agencies to those colleges which were accredited by agencies that were recognised by the UGC. On the other hand, colleges that were accredited by non-recognised agencies were not eligible for financial aid.
The previous KSHEC panel had initiated steps in 2012 to set up a Kerala State Assessment and Accreditation Committee (KSAAC) for which an expert committee, chaired by former NAAC chairman A. Gnanam and convened by Dr. Jayaprakash, had been constituted.
“While KSAAC had been registered under the Charitable Societies Act, the proposed SAAC was yet to be registered. Only a registered organisation could seek recognition by the UGC. Besides, the Kerala State Higher Education Council Act, 2017, provided for the establishment of only an assessment council and not one meant for accreditation,” he pointed out.
The proposed SAAC will be required to adhere to the stipulations that have been laid down by the UGC, under the UGC (Recognition and Monitoring of Assessment and Accreditation Agencies) Regulations 2018, issued on August 14.
