Bhubaneswar: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued fresh instructions for accreditation of higher education institutions in the country.
As per the UGC (Mandatory Assessment and Accreditation of higher Educational Institutions) Regulations 2012, it is mandatory for each higher education institution to get accredited by the accreditation agency after passing out of two batches or six years, whichever is earlier.
The UGC also set a target that colleges and universities should get accredited with a minimum score of 2.5 by the year 2022.
To achieve the target, the UGC introduced a new initiative called ‘Paramarsh’ in the year 2019 for mentoring the non-accredited institutions.
“This initiative intends to promote well-performing accredited institutions to mentor the NAAC accreditation aspiring institutions to upgrade their academic performance and get accredited. A well-designed scheme of Mentor-Mentee relationship will not only benefit both the institutions but also lead to quality education for the students who are currently enrolled in the Indian higher education system,” stated a UGC notification dated January 29, 2021.
So far, 167 Mentor Institutions have been approved under ‘Paramarsh’ to mentor 936 non-accredited higher education institutions. The list of the Mentor Institutions can be found on the UGC website, www.ugc.ac.in.
The UGC in the notification said that there are still a large number of institutions which are yet to be accredited. These institutions are expected to make all out efforts to get themselves accredited at the earliest. Moreover, the NAAC accreditation aspiring institutions may seek guidance from the Mentor Institutions as well as other high performing institutions so that they can get an exposure to the best practices.
The higher education institutions are therefore expected to come forward for accreditation so as to maintain global standards and ensure quality of our higher education system, the notification read.
