Patna: Despite repeated warnings from the chancellors' secretariat as well as the state government, only 8 out of 36 universities and 161 out of the total 940 colleges in Bihar have received the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) status so far, despite repeated reminders. Interestingly, only 85 out of the 161 colleges have valid accreditation. Under Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), any higher education institution must have NAAC certification in order to receive research grants. According to an analysis conducted by NAAC itself a long time ago, most of the institutions are reluctant to take an examination due to the fear of failing grades.

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In addition, they do not have the necessary number of staff, both in terms of teaching and support staff. The NAAC analysis cites several common flaws in the functioning of accredited higher education institutions, such as an ineffective internal quality control unit (IQAC), the non-implementation of a choice-based credit scheme (CBCS) in UG programs, syllabi that are incompatible with industry requirements and the institutions' inability to update them, and insufficient funding for the construction and upgrading of infrastructure for teaching-learning-research and innovation.

It seems that if colleges are ineligible for state-of-the-art equipment, it will be impossible to obtain adequate funding, as is expected from the state government. Heads for the expansion and maintenance of research facilities must be included in the budget.

Nonetheless, state higher education minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary warned the authorities concerned to prepare themselves properly for the quality assessment of their institutions, allaying the chances of receiving a bad grade. Although they do not do well in the first cycle, they will recognize their shortcomings and will certainly achieve a higher grade in the next cycle, he said at an orientation session hosted by the Bihar State Higher Education Council (BSHEC).

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According to the minister, a NAAC report evaluates them for their strengths and weaknesses, which ultimately aids them in maintaining their integrity. Kameshwar Jha, the vice-chairman of the BSHEC, said the UGC has also launched a new program called Paramarsh for aiding the non-accredited institutions.

So far under Paramarsh, 167 mentor institutions have been approved to mentor 936 non-accredited higher education institutions in the region. He said that non-accredited colleges in Bihar should seek the help of such mentor institutions.