The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) is a government organisation in India that assesses and accredits Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) such as colleges, universities or other recognised institutions to derive an understanding of the ‘Quality Status’ of the institution. NAAC evaluates the institutions for its conformance to the standards of quality in terms of its performance related to the educational processes and outcomes, curriculum coverage, teaching-learning processes, faculty, research, infrastructure, learning resources, organisation, governance, financial well-being and student services. It’s an autonomous body funded by the University Grants Commission and headquartered in Bangalore.
NAAC was established on the recommendations of National Policy on Education, 1986. This policy addresses the issues of deterioration of quality in education and program of action. The strategic value of introducing this accreditation body is only to increase the quality of education in the country. The ultimate goal of NAAC is empowering the resources, continuous improvement, fulfilling objectives, and maximising the capabilities as well as opportunities.
The NAAC grades the institutes on the basis of the absolute grading system. For example: if your institution is between 3.51- 4.00 points, you will get a letter grade A++, and the performance descriptor is accredited. However, if your performance is less than 1.50, you will get a grade of D and the performance descriptor is not accredited. Institutes with top NAAC grades such as ‘A++’, ‘A+’, and ‘A’ are the most sought-after institutes, as they offer high-quality education.
Importance of NAAC ‘A' Grade Colleges in Engineering :