. NEW DELHI: A parliamentary standing committee has flagged a leadership vacuum at the University Grants Commission (UGC) and called for urgent systemic reforms at the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), saying the accreditation regime is “long and bureaucratic” and its credibility must be restored “with the utmost urgency”.The panel noted that “the position of the chairperson, UGC, has been vacant since April 2025” and reminded the government that as per the National Education Policy, “leadership positions shall not remain vacant, but rather an overlapping time period during transitions in leadership shall be the norm”. It therefore “recommends that a new Chairperson should be appointed for the UGC as soon as possible”. Why India’s New Right To Disconnect Bill Could Transform Work Culture, Protect Millions From Burnout On NAAC, the 371st Report of the Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, stated, “the current process of accreditation/re-accreditation is long and bureaucratic, with five yearly re-accreditation and yearly reports that demand considerable time from University administrators”. It added that “NAAC’s accreditation process for HEIs needs to be streamlined so that the whole process is quick and without unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles”.Referring to the bribery case involving NAAC, the report said: “there is an investigation ongoing into a recent case of bribery in the NAAC” and recommended that “a thorough internal investigation should be initiated in the matter and findings of the investigation may be shared with the Committee”. While acknowledging “the revision in the grading of about 200 institutions and the removal of about 900 peer assessors”, it said “the restoration of the NAAC’s credibility is of the utmost urgency”.On the overlap between NAAC and rankings, the panel said, “in this context, the NAAC’s grading of institutions is extraneous” and backed a simpler model. “A binary accreditation model… would be simpler to implement, ease the bureaucratic process, and limit the scope for discretion in the NAAC’s grading,” it said, noting that it “was scheduled to be implemented in July 2024 but has been delayed” and urging “the early implementation of the same”.The committee also flagged delays in the UGC’s equity framework. On the Draft UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, it said “there has been a considerable delay in finalising these draft regulations” and recommended that they “must explicitly include the harassment of students and other stakeholders from the Other Backward Classes (OBCs)”, disability-based discrimination, and provide for “annual public disclosure of caste-based discrimination cases”.About the AuthorManash Pratim GohainManash Pratim Gohain is a seasoned journalist with over two decades at The Times of India, where he has built a rich body of work spanning education policy, politics, and governance. Renowned for his incisive coverage of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, accreditation reforms, and skilling initiatives, he has also reported on student politics, urban policy, and social movements. His political reportage—both reflective and news-driven—adds depth to his writing, bridging policy with public impact. Through his 2,500 articles and related outlets, he has emerged as a trusted voice in national discourse, particularly in linking education reform to broader societal change.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosWhy Trump Accuses India Of Dumping Rice And What A New Tariff Shock Could Mean For Trade Relations’No Link To Bengal’: Amit Shah’s Fiery Speech on Vande Mataram, Blames Nehru, Indira of SabotageBJP’S Sanjay Jaiswal Thanks Rahul Gandhi For ‘Vote Chori’ Charge, Claims It Boosted NDA’S Bihar WinWhy India’s New Right To Disconnect Bill Could Transform Work Culture, Protect Millions From Burnout’BLOs Are Dying, Shut Down SIR’: Manish Tewari’s Charge Triggers Showdown Over Election ReformsAs IndiGo Spirals Into Crisis, PM Modi Stresses Rules Must Ease Citizens’ Lives, Not Burden Them‘Daily Struggle To Survive’: Lawyer Exposes Grim Reality For Air India Crash FamiliesPM Modi’s Wish For Khaleda Zia’s Recovery Earns BNP Praise, Marking A Rare Diplomatic Shift In DhakaPakistan’s Asim Munir Threatens India With ‘Severe Response’ In First Speech After Becoming CDFRaghuram Rajan Claims Trump Tariffs Stemmed From Ego Clash Over Indo-Pak Ceasefire Credit Battle123Photostories8 healthy desi dishes that should be part of daily winter meals5 tips that can help you poop before going to workShe Travels: 10 wildlife safaris every woman should experience with her girl gang (India edition)From teeth to tone: What people spot about you in the first 5 secondsNutrition fact of the day: Egg yolk contains rare brain nutrients7-day high-fiber, nutrient-dense vegetarian diet plan for diabetesHigh uric acid level? 10 ways to manage it naturally without any medicine‘Pride of Bengaluru’: IPL will stay at Chinnaswamy despite June 4 stampede chaosHow to keep pigeons away from your house: 5 super-effective waysWhat your date of birth reveals about past life karma123Hot PicksCandace OwensCharlie KirkWorld NewsGold rate todaySilver rate todayPublic Holidays NovemberBank Holidays NovemberTop TrendingJalen HurtsDonald TrumpJEE Main New RecommendationsMariasharapova and Alexander Net worthAryna Sabalenka Net WorthAlix EarleRafael Nadal and Mery Net WorthCandace OwensTop US Colleges Co-OpProgramsF-1 students US
NEW DELHI: A parliamentary standing committee has flagged a leadership vacuum at the University Grants Commission (UGC) and called for urgent systemic reforms at the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), saying the accreditation regime is “long and bureaucratic” and its credibility must be restored “with the utmost urgency”.The panel noted that “the position of the chairperson, UGC, has been vacant since April 2025” and reminded the government that as per the National Education Policy, “leadership positions shall not remain vacant, but rather an overlapping time period during transitions in leadership shall be the norm”. It therefore “recommends that a new Chairperson should be appointed for the UGC as soon as possible”.
On NAAC, the 371st Report of the Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, stated, “the current process of accreditation/re-accreditation is long and bureaucratic, with five yearly re-accreditation and yearly reports that demand considerable time from University administrators”. It added that “NAAC’s accreditation process for HEIs needs to be streamlined so that the whole process is quick and without unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles”.Referring to the bribery case involving NAAC, the report said: “there is an investigation ongoing into a recent case of bribery in the NAAC” and recommended that “a thorough internal investigation should be initiated in the matter and findings of the investigation may be shared with the Committee”. While acknowledging “the revision in the grading of about 200 institutions and the removal of about 900 peer assessors”, it said “the restoration of the NAAC’s credibility is of the utmost urgency”.On the overlap between NAAC and rankings, the panel said, “in this context, the NAAC’s grading of institutions is extraneous” and backed a simpler model. “A binary accreditation model… would be simpler to implement, ease the bureaucratic process, and limit the scope for discretion in the NAAC’s grading,” it said, noting that it “was scheduled to be implemented in July 2024 but has been delayed” and urging “the early implementation of the same”.The committee also flagged delays in the UGC’s equity framework. On the Draft UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, it said “there has been a considerable delay in finalising these draft regulations” and recommended that they “must explicitly include the harassment of students and other stakeholders from the Other Backward Classes (OBCs)”, disability-based discrimination, and provide for “annual public disclosure of caste-based discrimination cases”.
