NAAC Accreditation (2021) - Apply Online, Process, Documents required, Eligibility Criteria

Mentioned below are the Process, Documents required and Eligibility Criteria to apply online for the NAAC Accreditation 2021. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are categorized into three types i.e. University, Autonomous College, and Affiliated/Constituent College for the Assessment and Accreditation (A&A).

The HEIs intending to apply online for the NAAC Accreditation must assess themselves then submit the SSR (Self Study Report) and the IIQA (Institutional Information for Quality Assessment) document to demonstrate their compliance with the criteria and policies of the NAAC committee.

NAAC Accreditation Process

The Systematic process & steps to apply for the NAAC Accreditation are:

1. HEI Registration:

• It is mandatory and one of the criteria for the HEIs to upload the institution’s details on AISHE (All India Survey on Higher Education) portal and have AISHE Reference Code before applying for A&A
• Fill HEI Registration Form
• NAAC Verifies the Registration
• After validation, the Organisation sends Login Credentials to the  HEI
• Access the Portal with Login Credentials to submit the required necessary documents

2. IIQA Submission:

• Login to the portal, fill the IIQA (Institutional Information for Quality Assessment) form
• Pay the IIQA Fee Online
• Submit the necessary documents in the right format
• The Accreditation body validates the documents and passes the decision usually within 15 days from the date of the registration
• Proceed to SSR Submission after approval
• In case of rejection, institutions have 2 attempts to resubmit the IIQA form and the documents within 1 year

3. SSR Submission:

• Fill the SSR (Self Study Report) Form
• Pay the SSR Instalment Fee Online
• Upload the data files (Min. 50% of Student data) and documents in the prescribed template format
• Submit the form
• The Organisation verifies the SSS (Student Satisfaction Survey) Process, DAV Process, and Inflibnet Bibliometric Data

4. The NAAC looks into SSR QnM for Pre-Qualification Evaluation

5. PTV Management Process:

• As a part of the PTV Management Process, the committee declares the date of the visit along with the teams to visit the institution within three weeks of receiving the SSR

NAAC Accreditation Eligibility Criteria

As mentioned above, the HEIs are categorized into three types: University, Autonomous College, and Affiliated/Constituent College. The two primary eligibility criteria for institutions to apply for NAAC Accreditation are:

• The Institution must have at least two batches of graduated students
• The age of the Institution must be 6 years or above

NAAC Eligibility Criteria for Central / State / Private / Deemed-to-be Universities

The Universities are eligible for the NAAC Accreditation under the following criteria:

• The University and its off campuses must be recognized and approved by the MHRD/ UGC
• Sufficient number of student enrolments in Full-time and Research Programs
• The University and its campuses must be located within the Country

Note: The NAAC will not undertake the accreditation of offshore campuses.

NAAC Eligibility Criteria for Autonomous colleges and Constituent Colleges / Affiliated Colleges

The eligibility criteria for the Constituent/ Affiliated institutions and Autonomous Colleges are:

• The college must be affiliated to a University recognized by the UGC

Note: Constituent colleges of a Private and Deemed-to-be Universities are considered as the constituent units of the University and thus will not be considered for the NAAC A&A.

• The programmes offered at the college must be recognized by Statutory Professional Regulatory Councils and by the Association of Indian Universities(AIU)

NAAC Criteria wise Weightage

All three types of institutions are graded and ranked using 7 Criteria and 34 Key Indicators (KIs).

Each KI has a certain value and weightage and is different for the different types. Institutions seeking the Accreditation need to attain that value number to get certified and ranked. The NAAC is emphasizing on ERP Software as one of the Criteria.

NAAC accredited colleges are now required to have a college ERP software implemented to automate their Student admission, Registration, Administration, Examination, Finance, Accounts, Payment procedures.

Documents required for NAAC Accreditation

The list of documents required and the files to be prepared before applying for the NAAC Accreditation must be in the right PDF format.

Key Documents Required for Colleges

• Latest affiliation letter(s) for the current academic year along with the copy of the application and fee details.
• Current academic year recognition/approval letter from Statutory Regulatory Authority (SRA) bodies such as AICTE, MCI, BCI, PCI, etc.
• UGC 2f and 12(B) recognition certificate along with the latest Plan/ General Development Grant release letter from the UGC

Key Documents for Autonomous Colleges

• Letter from UGC conferring Autonomous Status
• latest AISHE certificate or provide the relevant message indicating the DCF number as a proof from All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) portal
• HEIs covered by any SRA/ UGC must submit the approvals from the respective SRA/UGC indicating the change
• Self-declaration with respect to Affiliation status in the format provided by NAAC

Key Documents Required for University

• Approval of UGC/MHRD/State government certifying the establishment of the University
• Current academic year recognition/ approval letter from Statutory Regulatory Authority (SRA)like AICTE, MCI, BCI, PCI
• UGC 2f and 12(B) recognition certificate