Role Of Regulating Authorities For Higher Education Institutions

India has always been known as the land of supreme knowledge. Even in the contemporary times, Indian education is seen as a benchmark for its quality and ease-of-access. This has been possible through a number of regulatory bodies that are responsible for maintaining the standard of education in the country. Irrespective of whether they are private or public, Higher Education Institutions in India are bound to adhere to the stringent regulations in order to maintain uniformity. The Government of India has established numerous regulatory bodies, including specialized ones, which certify institutions and accredit them on a scale, depending on many factors. This is a quality-assurance measure which encourages institutions to stay updated and maintain quality, or even improve their standards where their accreditation levels prove to be low.

The most important accreditation body in the country is the University Grants Commission (UGC). The UGC is responsible for laying down uniform rules to govern all the stages like admissions, appointments, salaries, syllabi and infrastructure. Any university or institute needs the approval of the UGC to be able to confer their students with valid degrees. Without this, universities and colleges are considered to be counterfeit and degrees from such institutions are considered invalid. The UGC is the authority that certifies Universities to function as Central, State, Private or Deemed-to-be Universities. The UGC also has the right to withdraw the certification if it ever feels that the institution is proving to be counterfeit or substandard. Other regulatory bodies which authorize specialized Universities are the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), which regulates technical and management colleges, and the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), which acts as an organization of universities that work together to evaluate syllabi, coursework and certifications. 

Similarly, apart from being recognized by a regulatory body such as the UGC, certain regulatory bodies help to maintain a standard of education in the country. The most esteemed such body is the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) which comprises of many experts and distinguished educators who help maintain quality-control. NAAC grants accreditation to Higher Education Institutions with the best institutions standing as A-grade and the lowest being D-grade. NAAC grades institutions on the basis of a number of factors such as ‘curricular aspects’, teaching-learning and evaluation’, ‘research, innovation and extension’, ‘infrastructure and learning resources’, ‘student support and progression’, ‘governance, leader and management’, and ‘institutional values and best practices’. This wholesome evaluation enables a better gradation of the institutions and points specifically to the areas that are doing well or conversely, need improvement. NAAC accreditations are mandatory for HEIs to be eligible for various grants from State or Central Government. It is hence, pivotal to the growth of any institution to be graded by NAAC. 

With the help of the regulation of UGC and NAAC, the various colleges remain answerable to the government and persevere to provide quality education accessible to all. There are similar accrediting boards which grade specialized institutions as well, like the National Board of Accreditation (NBA) which accredits technical and professional courses in engineering and management, the Bar Council of India (BCI) which regulates legal institutions, the Medical Council of India (MCI) which sets the standards for medicine and medical institutions and so on. Similarly, The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) is the regulatory body which oversees teacher education in India. Keeping in accordance with the NCTE guidelines, it is crucial for teachers’ training colleges to follow the guidelines of mandatory disclosure and update the facilities and courses to keep abreast with the developments in pedagogies. 

These various regulatory bodies guarantee that the quality of education in India is never compromised and keep a check on both private and public HEIs to maintain a certain level of excellence. Being an advocate of higher education, we staunchly believe in providing world-class education rooted in traditional values and while endeavoring to excel, in tandem with the regulations of the Government.

Dr Niranjan Hiranandani

Guest Author The author is Provost of HSNC (Hyderabad Sind National Collegiate) University "Sincerity and commitment to consistent efforts is the recipe to achieve success and great heights." This quote very aptly sums up Dr Niranjan Hiranandani’s ‘Magic Mantra’. Best known as a visionary and Industry think-tank; achieved another milestone in his professional life - his thesis on real estate has resulted in the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Management conferred on him. He recently had sworn in as National President for NAREDCO. A business leader with the desire to rewrite India’s real estate story, Niranjan Hiranandani is arguably, India’s ‘builder extraordinaire’, the person credited with changing Mumbai’s skyline. A qualified Chartered Accountant, he has virtually revolutionized the real estate industry in the country.