NAAC Revamps Accreditation: AI-Powered System to Ensure Integrity

The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) is poised to unveil a transformative accreditation system come August, heralding a shift from traditional physical inspections to a more streamlined, AI-assisted assessment methodology. This change is part of a broader initiative to enhance the credibility and efficiency of accrediting higher education institutions across India.

NAAC Chairman, Prof Anil Sahasrabudhe, outlined the ambitious goal of accrediting over 90% of India's higher education institutions within the next five years. This innovative framework will incorporate a basic accreditation approach, coupled with an advanced maturity-based graded-level assessment, replacing the current eight-point grading structure. The new method eliminates physical peer visits, opting instead for verified documents, thereby addressing previous integrity issues.

The reformulated accreditation system includes advanced AI technology to replace the need for peer review visits and incorporate validation from a diverse group of stakeholders. A core feature is crowdsourced verification, leveraging expertise from a variety of fields. The system adheres to recommendations by a committee led by former ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan, aiming to overhaul the existing accreditation ecosystem and align with the National Education Policy (NEP).

(With inputs from agencies.)