NAAC raises Concerns in Higher Education

On April 1, 2026, the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) has reported a near total halt in fresh accreditations for the current academic year. This pause stems from a massive structural overhaul and recent administrative setbacks that have left the country’s primary higher education quality watchdog in a state of transition..

Core Reasons for the Halt

1. NAAC is moving away from traditional letter grades (A++, B etc.) to a Binary Accreditation model. Under this new system, institutions will simply be classified as “Accredited” or “Not Accredited”
2. For accredited institutions, a new five level “Maturity-Based Graded Level” (MBGL) system is being introduced to recognise global excellence such as Level 5 being the highest..
3. The process was severely delayed following a CBI inquiry into corruption allegations. In early 2025, ten NAAC members were arrested for allegedly accepting bribes to grant favourable ratings, leading to the removal of nearly 900 to 1K assessors to restore system integrity.
4. A new AI-driven, data-validated portal is being developed to replace physical peer team visits which were identified as the primary source of subjectivity and misconduct..

Impact on Higher Education

1. Many universities rely on valid NAAC scores for UGC grants and research funding. The halt has left hundreds of institutions with lapsed credentials, potentially jeopardising their financial support
2.  In states like Maharashtra, colleges without current accreditation initially faced removal from central admission portals, though temporary extensions have been granted to prevent student disruption.
3. Reports indicate that the lack of permanent leadership or headless bodies at various levels of the accreditation council has further slowed the rollout of the new framework…

Status and Relief Measures by NAAC

1. To safeguard institutions from “technical fallout “ NAAC has extended the validity of existing accreditations for a maximum of three months after the eventual launch of the new MBGL system.
2.  Regional workshops are being held to finalise the new manuals before the full system launch, expected in the coming months of 2026. 

Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill legislative framework Show that a central Accreditation Council is set to supervise multiple state level agencies, moving away from a model where the Bengaluru-based NAAC was the sole authority..

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