The State Assessment and Accreditation Centre (SAAC), the first State-level accreditation agency in the country, has been operationalised for higher education institutions in Kerala. Modelled on the lines of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), the agency incorporates State-specific parameters.
The activities of SAAC, which will function under the Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC), will be coordinated by a five-member academic advisory committee chaired by council vice chairman P.M. Rajan Gurukkal.
The panel comprises former NAAC Director Ranganath H. Annegowda; N.J. Rao of Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru; KSHEC executive body member Fathimathu Zuhara and member-secretary Rajan Varughese as its convener.
The various stages of the assessment and accreditation process include the preparation of self-study reports by institutions and on-site visit by peer teams for validating them, following which the academic advisory committee will put forth its recommendation before the KSHEC’s executive and governing bodies for a final decision. The SAAC portal went online in the KSHEC website on Thursday to enable colleges to submit their reports.
All higher education institutions will be required to seek accreditation by SAAC, six years after their establishment or after two degree batches graduated, whichever is earlier. New colleges will have to apply for assessment and accreditation prior to commencing their academic operations.
The maximum institutional cumulative grade point average (CGPA) has been fixed at 4 with colleges that obtain a score ranging from 3.51 to 4 awarded a grade of A++. The lowest range for accreditation is 1.51-2 with a C grade. Institutions that secure CGPAs of 1.5 or lower will be denied accreditation.
The accreditation agency will function in accordance with the core values proposed by NAAC in addition to three State-specific criterion, including social inclusiveness, equity and excellence, and steps to foster scientific temper and secular outlook.
Besides assessing institutions, SAAC is touted to measure and propose steps to enhance academic standards, rank institutions, and ensure their readiness to seek NAAC accreditation and grading.
The government has stated its intentions to adopt tough measures, including denial of assistance and permission to commence new courses, against colleges which failed to obtain SAAC accreditation.
