Quality takes backseat in Telangana colleges; 88% do not have NAAC accreditation

Out of 2,083 colleges operating in the State, only 260 have received a valid accreditation from the NAAC, which is a mere 12 percent

Hyderabad: Quality appears to have taken a backseat in Telangana as a staggering 88 per cent of colleges in the State have been operating without a valid National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) grade.

According to details available with the University Grants Commission (UGC), out of 2,083 colleges in the State, only 260 have received a valid accreditation from the NAAC, which is a mere 12 percent. The NAAC grading is considered as a benchmark for quality education offered by higher educational institutions. Also, of 31 universities, including, State, private and deemed universities, only 11 have valid accreditation, which translates to just 35 per cent.

---

Osmania University too is operating without a NAAC grade. The 106-year-old university’s accreditation, which received ‘A plus’ grade on September 12, 2017, ended after a seven-year validity period this year. Telangana University, Satavahana University, Palamuru University, and Telugu University are not among the universities with a valid NAAC grade.

The English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) is no better than the State universities. This Central University has been operating without the NAAC grade for last three years with NAAC A grade concluding in 2021.

The statistics raise questions about the quality of education being offered by the higher education institutions. Students graduating from accredited institutions have edge over their counterparts from non-accredited colleges in the campus placements.

According to an expert, institutions having a NAAC grade above B implies quality being maintained. “For campus placements, corporate companies select institutions with a good NAAC grade. The accreditation apart from enhancing perception among students and parents will enable institutions to get autonomous status,” said a senior professor, who was part of NAAC inspection team.

The institutions, which go for the grading, are evaluated in the areas-teaching-learning and evaluation, research and innovations and extension, infrastructure and learning resources, student support and progression, governance, leadership and management, and institutions values and best practices. Based on the performance in each aspect, the institutions are awarded grades like A , A , A, B , B , B, C and D.

The grades help the institutions know its strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities, and also in attracting grants from funding agencies, besides companies for campus drives.