NAAC’s new accreditation framework prioritizes outcomes over inputs

NAAC Executive Committee Chairman Nageshwar Rao at a workshop organized by Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education in Vijayawada on Thursday. | Photo credit: GN RAO

The National Assessment and Accreditation Council’s (NAAC) new accreditation framework will focus on institutional outputs and outcomes rather than inputs and documentation, said NAAC Executive Committee Chairman Nageshwar Rao.

Addressing a workshop on ‘Accreditation as Quality Credential’ organized by Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE) in collaboration with Acharya Nagarjuna University (ANU) on Thursday, Prof. Rao said the new framework is shaped by the recommendations of the Radhakrishnan Committee for 2024.

Under the proposed system, institutions would have to demonstrate tangible results, such as commercially relevant patents and the number of qualified students produced, rather than simply providing documents.

Differentiated assessment formats and metrics would be introduced through Maturity-Based Graded Levels (MBGLs) to replace the Common Self-Study Report, he said.

The new system would also increase trust in the institutions and reduce the evaluation time, he added.

Prof. Rao cautioned higher education institutions against relying on unverified information available online and pointed out that the metrics under the new NAAC framework were still being finalised. He also urged the institutions to institutionalize the use of SWAYAM and SWAYAMPRABHA platforms.

APSCHE Secretary B. Tirupati Rao said the Internal Quality Assurance Cells (IQACs) should move beyond their role as documentation units and become effective mechanisms for improving institutional quality. “Accreditation is not the goal, but the foundation of institutional progress,” he said.

APSCHE Vice-Chairperson K. Ratna Shiela Mani urged institutions to join NEP 2020 and prepare for the emerging Binary NAAC framework. “Quality must be a habit in every institution,” she said.

APSCHE Chairman (I/c) S. Vijaya Bhaskara Rao said that the main task before the higher education institutions was to ensure that the students were employable or self-employed. Institutions should identify emerging employment sectors and train students in relevant skills, even with limited resources, he said.

ANU Vice-Chancellor Prof. K. Gangadhara Rao pointed out discrepancies between the All India Survey of Higher Education (AISHE) and NAAC data. He emphasized the need for integrated data systems and a single point of coordination under the One Nation–One Data (ONOD) approach.

Yogi Vemana University Vice-Chancellor B. Rajasekhar identified data integrity, particularly location data, as a major concern. He called on institutions to maintain consistency in the information submitted to AISHE, the Commissionerate, institutional websites and other public platforms, especially as AI-assisted verification becomes more important.

Higher Education Commissioner Narayana Bharat Gupta said only 293 out of around 2,800 colleges in the state have been accredited while about 800 colleges have not declared their accreditation status. The state has set a goal of achieving 60% institutional accreditation next year, he said.

Published – 8 Oct 2026 19:52 IST