National Assessment and Accreditation Council

The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), established in 1994 as an autonomous body by the University Grants Commission, operates in alignment with the recommendations of the National Policy on Education (1986) and the Programme of Action (1992). These directives emphasized the crucial need to evaluate the quality of higher education in India. The core objective of NAAC, as defined in its Memorandum of Association (MoA), is to assess and accredit various institutions of higher learning, including universities, colleges, and their constituent units such as departments, schools, institutions, and programs.

The operations of NAAC are carried out through its General Council and Executive Committee, which include representation from educational administrators, policy makers, and senior academicians spanning the spectrum of higher education.

Under the revised methodology implemented by NAAC as of April 1, 2007, the assessment and accreditation of higher education institutions occur through a two-step process. First, institutions are required to obtain 'Institutional Eligibility for Quality Assessment (IEQA),' followed by the actual assessment and accreditation process, resulting in grades 'A,' 'B,' 'C' for accredited institutions and 'D' for those not accredited. NAAC employs seven criteria as the foundation for its assessment procedure, which include: curricular aspects, teaching-learning and evaluation, research, consultancy, and extension, infrastructure and learning resources, student support and progression, governance and leadership, and innovative practices.