Panjab University prepares for NAAC visit

Deepankar Sharda

Chandigarh, June 6

Waiting for eight years now, Panjab University has finally started some ground work for the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) visit.

In the past few days, the university has conducted various inter-campus and inter-department mock drills to prepare for the NAAC visit. Reliable sources confirmed scheduling of NAAC visit in the month of August.

Four categories

The previous NAAC grade of the university expired on June 24 last year. Under NAAC grading, institutions are graded for each key aspect under four categories – A, B, C and D, denoting very good, good, satisfactory and unsatisfactory levels, respectively.

One such drill was conducted recently in the Administrative Block, where officials visited various departments. The university Registrar also took part in these drills. Though the dates for the NAAC visit are uncertain, the authorities have started preparing for it expecting the visit next month, claimed sources.

“The university has started mock drills wherein a team of senior faculty members visits various departments. It was conducted at the Administrative Block on Monday,” said a senior functionary.

During the previous NAAC visit in 2015, the university was granted A-grade with 3.35 marks out of four. Later, the university had planned for the NAAC visit, but the preparations were halted due to the pandemic. Later, the process was delayed due to unceremoniously ouster of former Vice-Chancellor Professor Raj Kumar. Under Kumar’s regime, the university was struggling to complete the self-study report (SSR), which is needed to be submitted to the NAAC for its visit.

In order to complete the SSR, the university had roped in Junior Research Fellows (JRFs) and PhD Research Fellows to complete the data. The scholars were asked to visit the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) of the university and compile the necessary data of their respective departments. In April, this year, the university submitted its SSR and the Institutional Information for Quality Assessment (IIQA), which was accepted by the NAAC.

Under the NAAC visit, a team of the council visits the campus to assess the facilities and award the institution with new ranking points.

During its visit to the campus in 2015, the NAAC had recommended consolidation of small cognate departments for effective and efficient teaching, learning and research. In 2019, a panel was constituted under the then Dean University Instructions. Last year, the university initiated the process to merge the departments by forming various committees.