NAAC gearing up to assess foreign varsities

BANGALORE: With the entry of foreign universities into India becoming imminent, the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) is working on methodologies for assessing and accrediting foreign entrants. The methodologies are likely to be framed in April or May this year. “We are looking at revising the process of assessment and accreditation for both local and foreign universities. A national committee meeting is coming up next week, where we will deliberate on several questions and challenges that face us with respect to foreign universities being assessed and accredited here  in accordance to Indian standards,” said Prof H A Ranganath, Director, National Assessment and Accreditation Council.While there is no clarity from the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) on whether foreign universities will require another round of assessment here, NAAC wants to be prepared with clear guidelines for assessment of foreign universities in the event that the MHRD decides otherwise. “It is not necessary that NAAC has to assess foreign universities. We want to be prepared, just in case the MHRD asks us to do so. We will look at the quality of faculty that are coming in, infrastructure that the universities will bring here and other aspects. We don’t want ‘degree mills’ to be operating here,” he said, referring to the presence of many universities abroad that merely give away degrees with no quality in education. “The main point here is that a foreign institution should be assessed by a reputed body in its parent country or by an internationally recognised body. Next, it should have a strong affiliation. If the affiliation is faulty, then assessment will have no meaning,” said Prof Ranganath, who believes that assessment of foreign entrants by Indian bodies is required.The Foreign Educational Institution (Regulation of Entry and Operation) Bill, 2010, was cleared by the Union Cabinet in March last year. The bill seeks to regulate the entry and operation of foreign institutions which will set up centre and offer degrees in India.