National Assessment and Accreditation Council

The National Board of Accreditation (NBA) in India was originally established by the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) under section 10(u) of the AICTE Act in 1994. Its primary purpose was to assess the quality and competence of educational programs offered by institutions, ranging from diploma to post-graduate levels, in fields such as engineering, technology, management, pharmacy, architecture, and related disciplines. These programs needed to be AICTE-approved to undergo NBA assessment.

On January 7, 2010, the NBA transitioned into an independent autonomous body with specific objectives: ensuring the quality and relevance of technical education programs, particularly those in professional and technical domains such as Engineering and Technology, Management, Architecture, Pharmacy, and Hotel Management and Catering Technology. This transformation involved amending the Memorandum of Association and Rules of NBA in April 2013 to establish complete administrative and financial independence from AICTE.

NBA conducts program evaluations in technical institutions, considering various factors, including institutional missions, organization and governance, infrastructure facilities, the quality of teaching and learning, curriculum design and review, and support services like libraries, laboratories, instrumentation, and computer facilities, among other aspects. These evaluations are based on norms and criteria established by the General Council and Executive Committee of NBA, all of which contribute to producing graduates in alignment with industry requirements.

Throughout its existence, NBA has continually evolved, introducing new processes, parameters, and criteria for accreditation that align with global best practices and prioritize the assessment of program outcomes.