NASHIK: About 66 per cent of the universities, excluding private ones, are outside the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) grade. Many universities have expired grade, and currently, there is only one university with an A-plus grade. Universities and colleges are evaluated by NAAC.
While making assessment quality of the curriculum and study, the number of teachers and staff, research, infrastructure, management, leadership, students’ participation, constructive activities in the university and patents are taken into account. The grade is given then. There are a total of 60 various universities in Maharashtra.
Apart from one central university, there are 19 state non-agricultural universities, 21 deemed universities and 19 private universities. Excluding private universities, there are 41 central, state and deemed universities. According to NAAC, only 14 of these universities currently have NAAC grade. A period of one year has been passed since the expiry of the grade. However, there is a dilly-dallying approach in sending the proposal for assessment again.
Although some universities have sent proposals, the NAAC committee has not visited the universities because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, 14 universities have NAAC grades. Of these, only the Institute of Chemical Technology (Deemed University) has an A-Plus grade. Five universities are in the ‘A Plus’ grade. Apart from Savitribai Phule Pune University, all the other four are deemed universities, while five universities have ‘A’ grade.