Guwahati: The number of National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) accredited colleges in Assam has increased to over 200 in just four years, whereas previously, only 104 colleges received accreditation in more than 10 years between 2010 and 2021.

NAAC is the public autonomous body of the govt of India that assesses and accredits the country’s higher education institutions.

While sharing the status of NAAC accreditation, which is essential for obtaining grants from the University Grants Commission (UGC) and other agencies, state education minister Ranoj Pegu on Saturday said the state achieved a milestone in maintaining quality standards in colleges. In a single year, the highest number of 135 colleges received NAAC accreditation in 2023, official figures stated.

“Under the visionary leadership of HCM Dr Himanta Biswa, the number of #NAAC-accredited colleges in Assam has grown from 104 in 2021 to 202 today,” Pegu wrote in a post on ‘X’.

“This milestone underscores our steadfast commitment to academic excellence, upholding rigorous quality standards, and nurturing a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and innovation across the state,” he added.

While Assam has about 345 colleges, with some newer colleges still to get NAAC accreditation, sources said a new system of ‘basic accreditation’ with primarily online evaluation is going to be launched by NAAC shortly, to be followed by accreditation of different levels.

Those having valid NAAC certificates will continue with that status, but sources said that after the expiry of the NAAC certificate, these colleges are likely to be asked to apply under the new system. Those colleges or higher educational institutions (HEI) that have not yet applied for NAAC accreditation are also likely to be asked to go for assessment under the new system.

SN Barman, principal of B Borooah College in Guwahati, which is the only HEI in the northeast to get a NAAC A++ grade, said, “Hopefully, the new system of assessment and accreditation will be revolutionary in quality assessment through digitalised evaluation, thus reducing human interference.”

Lack of adequate infrastructure has been one of the major issues among those colleges which have not applied for NAAC accreditation. But considering the importance of the NAAC assessment and certification, especially for funding, organisations like the Assam College Teachers’ Association (ACTA) have been assisting new colleges to get ready to apply for NAAC assessment. “We have zonal committees in all 21 zones, which are working to help the colleges in getting ready to apply for NAAC accreditation. NAAC accreditation is a must for the growth of the colleges,” said ACTA President Jayanta Baruah.