The norm of getting feedback from students which is followed in the UK may soon be adopted in India for quality assessment of universities and colleges. Student Satisfaction Survey is part of the Quality Indicator Framework that has been developed by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). Consultations are on regarding how it can be adopted.

NAAC will seek approval from the HRD Ministry to finalise the draft in July. A response from 84 higher educational institutions has been sought as a pilot study. Fresh accreditation of all autonomous colleges, universities and affiliated colleges will be done according to the newly developed methodology of accreditation.

This will be quantitative in nature and envisage accreditation of many more higher educational Institutions. At present 15,000 such institutions are eligible for accreditation. However, only 266 universities and 6316 colleges of these were accredited by NAAC in 2016.

A draft of the new norms prepared by the NAAC has been circulated among academicians for feedback. There are several new features in the new proposed norms of accreditation.

As part of the new methodology, feedback will be sought from teachers, alumni, employers, students and parents for making an assessment of the institution. For the first time, the Student Satisfaction Survey is also part of the draft framework that has been prepared for quality assessment of an educational institution. The survey will be based on emails sent to students and will be kept confidential. Fifty to 100 students from each institution will be chosen randomly and their feedback will be sought.

Prof Furqan Qamar, Secretary General of Association of Indian Universities, said this is an accepted practice in the UK but it is new in India.

There is also a provision for third party validation of data that is provided by the higher education Institutions for accreditation. But details of how this will be done will have to worked out through consultation. “We may float tenders to hire services of a third party. IITs and IIMs can help us by sparing their faculty members,” said NAAC director Prof D P Singh.

Institutional distinctiveness as part of the Institutional values and social responsibilities is also a new feature in quality assessment of the educational institutions.