Opportunities Are Limitless: NAAC Chairman

Anil Sahasrabudhe, Chairman, National Board of Accreditation (NAAC), shed light on the transformative journey India's education system is embarking on. With a focus on innovation, collaboration and leveraging technology, Sahasrabudhe outlined a vision that extends beyond accreditation, aiming to create a holistic and dynamic learning environment. The chairman commenced by acknowledging the pivotal role of accreditation in assessing educational institutions. He emphasised the need for institutions to embrace accreditation willingly, revealing that only about 25 to 30 per cent of institutions currently opt for institutional accreditation.

Answering a question by Team BW Education regarding the decision to do away with gradation in accreditation of higher education  institutes, he said, “There are two elements to it. The first aspect is, despite a lot of thrust on accreditation, not more than 25-30 per cent institutes come forward for institutional accreditation. And as far as programme accreditation of National Board of Accreditation for engineering, management and others is concerned, not even 10 per cent programmes are accredited. We want that all the institutes should follow a minimum quality benchmark. When the gradation was there, there was stigma attached to low grades.  Whereaas we want all the institutes to come forward.”

He pointed to the practice of institutes providing data “which was not truthful”, engaging consultants and other practices to get the desired grades. Those measures will not be required when you will be accredited or not accredited.

Talking about the other aspect, he said, “Quality and excellence does not come so easy. Institutes that aspire to do better should challenge themselves, and globally compete to become level 5.”

The new system of levels 1 to 5, he clarified, will not be equivalent to grades. It will not be easy to get to level 5. Only institutes like IISc Bangalore, IIMs or IITs could get to level 5, he said.   

Sahasrabudhe announced a shift, with the focus on the newly introduced Automated Permanent Academic Account, providing a unique ID for every student in India. This innovation aims to link with the Academic Bank of Credits, facilitating easy verification of student credentials by employers. Addressing the evolving landscape of education, Sahasrabudhe underscored the importance of quality content development. He envisaged a significant role for startups in the creation of engaging and informative educational content, particularly in emerging sectors like Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics and Animation.

The chairman stressed the potential of gamification and comics to make learning enjoyable for students, revolutionising the conventional education system. Furthermore, Sahasrabudhe shared insights into the efforts to promote multilingualism in education. He unveiled an indigenous translation tool called Anuvadini, developed to facilitate the translation of educational content into various Indian languages. The tool, currently in its learning phase, is poised to challenge global translation tools within a year, he said.

Highlighting the collaboration between startups and educational institutions, Sahasrabudhe urged startups to engage with institutions and provide insights into the changing dynamics of the job market. He encouraged startups to bridge the gap between industry requirements and academic offerings, fostering a culture of innovation and adaptability.

Throughout his address, Sahasrabudhe highlighted the role of technology in shaping the future of education. He lauded initiatives like the National Educational Alliance for Technologies, promoting personalised learning through adaptive tools. The chairman also commended efforts in the internship space, where technology, including AI, is utilised for matchmaking between students and industries.

Sahasrabudhe expressed optimism about India's position as a global leader in Artificial Intelligence education. He commended the strides made in digital empowerment, citing the elimination of corruption through direct disbursement of scholarships and subsidies to bank accounts. The chairman highlighted India's unique journey in becoming an AI capital, with a special mention of the transformative National Education Policy 2020. In a statement, Sahasrabudhe summarised the ongoing transformation in education, "The opportunities are limitless, and with the right collaboration, we can prepare our institutions and students for the challenges and opportunities of the future."

Innovations in accreditation, multilingualism, and collaboration with startups are shaping the future of education in India, remarked Sahasrabudhe.

His address at the BW Education EduNext Summit highlighted the transformative journey, emphasising the role of startups, technology, and quality content development in redefining the education landscape.