Panjab University retains NAAC ‘A’ grade

Aarti Kapur

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 25

With a slight decline of .12 in the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) grading as compared to last time, Panjab University today scored 3.35 out of 4 and retained the A grade (denoting very good). The much-awaited NAAC score was announced today after a meeting of the standing committee for NAAC accreditation.

Records revealed that Panjab University got a score of 3.47 out of 4 in 2009, the maximum for the region.

PU Vice-Chancellor Arun Kumar Grover said the report would be made public shortly. The report had been prepared by the NAAC after an inspection of the campus. He said despite constraints, the university managed to sustain the A grade. However, there were several areas which needed improvement, as recommended by the NAAC peer team.

NAAC assesses the university on seven criteria -- teaching, research, infrastructure, student support, governance, leadership and management.

According to a preliminary report submitted in March, NAAC had stated that the university should re-organise small departments by merging them with mainstream departments for a "fruitful outcome".

The team pointed out that according to the UGC norms, the departments which had less than six faculty members could not avail of grants due to which they failed to improve infrastructure and research work.

The peer team appreciated the efforts of PU Vice-Chancellor Arun Kumar Grover for excellence in science research work but said there was need for core expansion in the humanities departments. The team also recommended that the infrastructure in boys' hostels should be improved and new hostels should be constructed to accommodate more students. 

The team said there was need for strengthening the internal security system. The university should also improve the teacher-student ratio even though they were already meeting the norms set by the UGC.

Recommendations in preliminary NAAC report — 2015

• Adopt choice-based credit system
• Improve student feedback system 
• Set up internal quality assurance cell.
• Appreciate science research.

What the 2009 report stated

• Shortage of faculty in various departments. 
• Adopt student feedback system.
• Strength internal quality assurance cell