Higher Education Assessment Report - HP

 Only 33 of 131 colleges have NAAC accreditation.

This belies govt’s claims of raising standards of higher education

Tall claims of the state government to have made rapid strides in higher education have fallen flat, with only 33 out of 131 colleges, five out of seven Government Sanskrit Colleges and Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) having accreditation from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).
Out of the 33 accreditated colleges, only two — Government College, Mandi, and Government College, Dharamsala — have been given A grade, while five colleges got B++ grade.

• The grading of the HPU has been improved from B ++ to A grade as per the latest status report on higher education. As many as 91 colleges and two Sanskrit colleges are not eligible for any grant from the Central Government, the UGC or any other such funding body as these have not been declared fit to receive grants under the provisions of the University Grants Commission Act.
• However, seven colleges without NAAC accreditation have been adjudged fit and eligible for these grants under article 12 (B) of the UGC Act.
• The article provides “No grant shall be given to colleges by the Central Government, the commission, or any other body receiving any funds from the Central Government, established after the commencement of the UGC (Amendment) Act, 1972, unless the commission is satisfied that such institution be declared fit for receiving grants”.
• The NAAC accreditation is granted on the basis of seven parameters with 34 indicators and it helps the institution know its strengths, weaknesses and opportunities through an informed review process. Identification of internal areas of planning and resource allocation provides authentic data for the release of funds and reflects the overall ranking.
• The parameters include curricular aspects, research, innovations, extension, infrastructure, learning resources, student support, progression, institutional values, best practices, governance, leadership and management.
• NAAC accreditation also identifies the ranking of any university or institution and the fact that about 75 per cent colleges are functional in the state without NAAC accreditation, belies the claims of qualitative improvement in higher education.

Natioanl Aessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) :

The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) was established in 1994 as an autonomous institution of the University Grants Commission (UGC) with its Head Quarter in Bengaluru. The mandate of NAAC as reflected in its vision statement is in making quality assurance an integral part of the functioning of Higher Education Institutions (HEthe National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) was established in 1994 as an autonomous institution of the University Grants Commission (UGC) with its Head Quarter in Bengaluru. The mandate of NAAC as reflected in its vision statement is in making quality assurance an integral part of the functioning of Higher Education Institutes ( HEIs ).

The previous Congress government opened 58 new degree colleges and took over five degree and two Sanskrit colleges in the past five years. Most colleges were opened without following the set norms and providing adequate infrastructure. As a result, 15 posts of principal and 659 posts of assistant professors are lying vacant.
The government has filled 665 posts of associate and assistant professor through contract, PTA ( Parent Teacher Association ) and SMC ( School Management Committee ) and sent requisition to the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission for filling 660 posts of assistant professor on a regular basis.
The total enrolment in colleges in the state was 1, 36,003 in 2017-18, including 81,691 girls and 54,312 boys. The enrolment in government colleges and government Sanskrit colleges was 1,17,962 and 824, while in private (aided and unaided colleges )

The enrolment of girls was 60 per cent, which was 20 per cent more than boys. The change has been attributed to the opening of new colleges in rural and remote areas.ded colleges) and Sanskrit Colleges, it was 16,006 and 3,246 as per the latest statistics available with the department.The change has been attributed to the opening of new colleges in rural and remote areas.

By: Pooja Sharda