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Unit 32: UGC-NAAC as an Apex Body in Educational Planning and Management

functioning of the institutions, the NAAC promotes the establishment of Internal Quality Assurance Notes
Cells (IQAC) in accredited institutions.

32.11 Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC)
The IQAC is expected to become a part of an institution’s system and work towards realizing the goals
of quality enhancement and sustenance. The prime task of the IQAC is to develop a system for conscious,
consistent and catalytic improvement in the performance of institutions. It need not be yet another
hierarchical structure or record keeping exercise in the institution; it has to be a facilitative and
participative voluntary part of the institution. To help institutions establish the IQACs, guidelines have
been developed by the NAAC. The IQAC is expected to make a significant and meaningful contribution
in the reaccreditation of institutions.

Write applications of NAAC in the field of education.

Self Assessment

1. Fill in the blanks :
(i) The NAAC has identified the ........................ criteria to serve as the basis for its assessment.
(ii) The ........................ are used to arrive at the overall institutional score.
(iii) If the overall score is more than ............................ the institution gets the accredited status.
(iv) The assessment outcome is valid for a period of ............. years.
(v) The NAAC works in collaboration with the .................. to assess and a credit the teacher education
units.

32.12 Summary

• THE NATIONAL ASSESSMENT AND ACCREDITATION COUNCIL (NAAC) is an autonomous
body established by the University Grants Commission (UGC) of India to assess and accredit
institutions of higher education in the country.
• The NAAC functions through its General Council (GC) and Executive Committee (EC) where
educational administrators, policy makers and senior academicians from a cross section of the
system of higher education are represented.
• The NAAC also has many advisory and consultative committees to guide its practices, in addition
to the statutory bodies that steer its policies. The NAAC has a core staff and consultants to support
its activities.
• The activities and future plans of the NAAC are guided by its vision and mission that focus on
making quality assurance an integral part of the functioning of higher education institutions. The
vision of the NAAC is : To make quality the defining element of higher education in India through
a combination of self and external quality evaluation, promotion and sustenance initiatives.
• Institutions that wish to be assessed have to record their intention and provide general
information about the institution to the NAAC. The format for the letter of intention and the
general information required are given in Annexure I and II. On receiving the letter of intention,
the NAAC checks the eligibility of the institution.
• For the assessment of a unit that is eligible to be assessed, the NAAC follows a three stage process
which is a combination of self-study af).d peer review. The three stages are :

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