Bhubaneswar: Utkal University Thursday regained A+ rating from National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).
The ranking was obtained after re-examination by the NAAC team. The university scored 3.26 cumulative grade point average (CGPA) in the assessment to secure A+ grade.
Earlier, Utkal University was dropped from A+ to A in May this year as it scored 3.16 CGPA in the 3rd cycle of accreditation. It had secured A+ grade with 3.53 CGPA in 2016.
Speaking to Orissa POST, university Vice-Chancellor Sabita Acharya said, “We had appealed to the NAAC for reevaluation after our rating dropped. As expected, they reevaluated it and we got our A+ rating back.”
NAAC has been set up to facilitate volunteering institutions to assess their performance visa-vis set parameters and a process that provides space for participation of the institution.
NAAC uses several indicators as its criteria to assess the grade of higher educational institutions. They are: Curricular Aspects, Teachinglearning & Evaluation, Research, Innovations & Extension, Infrastructure & Learning Resources, Student Support & Progression, Governance, Leadership & Management, Institutional Values & Best Practices.
Meanwhile, Governor Raghubar Das Thursday called upon the VCs and officials to strive for making the education standard of the universities competitive with international standard. During a high-level meeting with the VCs, the Governor, who is the Chancellor of universities, stressed enhancement of educational atmosphere on the campuses, improvement of education standard and increase in staff strength.
He also called for successful implementation of National Education Policy (NEP) 2023. Speaking to media after the meeting, Utkal University VC said the Governor emphasised on research and innovation in higher education institutions.
Discussions were also held on more value-added courses on cultures and traditions of Odisha. Fakir Mohan University ViceChancellor Santosh Kumar Tripathy said, “The Chancellor advised us to conduct day-to-day transactions in the universities through e-Office and stressed on timely conduct of examinations and publication of results.”
by Arindam Ganguly, OP