NAAC Accreditation: Congratulations! KU
The university of Kashmir recently underwent the National Accreditation and Assessment Council (commonly known as NAAC) inspection and has been awarded with a promising grade, A double plus (A ++) with a CGPA of 3.68, for which every individual who directly or indirectly has contributed to achieve this feat deserves accolades and salutation.
Kudos to the vice-chancellor, Dean Academic Affairs and other officers/officials who were directly and diligently involved in the process of administering the peer team visit and deserve lofty gradation gratitude, appreciations and our fervent tribute and acclamation.
I still remember when Professor Khan took the reigns as the vice chancellor, she was asked about the priorities during her tenure as the head of the university to which she mentioned many things and broached to get A double plus grade from NAAC.
The reforms made with regard to the confluence between CBCS and NEP 2020 in the academic affairs of the university as a result of unabated efforts by dean academic affairs Professor Pirzada deserve acknowledgement. He along with his team has been working unrelentingly during the past many months for accomplishing a desired aim and now it gives me a delightful feeling that their hard work has paid off.
The NAAC peer team during their visit makes a qualitative assessment (on the basis of which CGPA is assigned) which provides insights into various aspects of an educational institution viz., evaluation of the institution’s curriculum and syllabus, teachers involvement in students’ progress, encouraging students towards research and innovation, laboratories, libraries, addressing students needs, empowering academic faculty, institutional values and best practices. There are two facets to combat with the inspection, long-term endeavours which are enunciated above and second how proficiently one dispenses the potential before the peer team.
Undeniably, the long-term achievements cannot be attained overnight but takes considerable amount of time, decades to grow as an institute of high stature, the credit should be given to all the predecessors who have put their blood and sweat to embellish an institution of such eminence. For the presentation, full credit goes to the present team who have been able to demonstrate their puissance and muscle optimally.
Having said that, I personally don’t subscribe to this enterprise of getting or giving grades at least education is not about getting grades and would take this opportunity to make certain points for kind consideration of the vice-chancellor and the dean. Now considering the fact that getting your institute accredited and ranked by the different national/international organisations is an inescapable pursuit, it is kind of a survival for the fittest situation and the fact that the funding of the institutions directly depends upon the grade a particular institution secures. But as per my humble amplitude of comprehension the standard to earn eminence, scholarship, distinction, the potential for excellence is marvel. Indubitably, the peer team comprises persons of high intellect who award grade to a particular institution as per their scale and subject and I have no contentions or reservation with their criteria for assessment but there are other areas to be thought upon and taken into consideration.
Appurtenant to cite here that by no means I intend to lower the success university has got, but as an alumnus and a well-wisher I crave for our university to grow as an institution of value in addition to an institution of success. There are certain prima facia measures which are abstract and cannot be quantified by any scale or substance. So, cannot be instrumental in fetching a good grade but certainly manifest the distinction and quality of an academic institution. Here I would take this opportunity to talk about a few and would want the university authorities to take a call on:
Teaching:
About the university a general perception is prevalent that teaching does not match the standards of a university teaching. It has become a common practice that power point presentations are used to deliver routine classes (what should not be the case), notes are being passed on to the students. The atmosphere of classes is non-inquisitive; students are not encouraged to ask questions. As it is said, a teacher teaches, a good teacher motivates and a great teacher inspires. A modus operandi needs to be espoused in terms of orientations, trainings, exchange programmes so that the teachings can exhibit a positive and creative thinking amongst the students.
Research:
The number is assumed to be the priority in the case of taking research students or publishing research articles, an environment needs to be created for quality work in research. There is a scope of short-term (innovative) projects for some departments and the faculty should encourage students for working on such projects which can also fetch them the patents from some organization like department of science and technology.
Non-class room academic environment:
Now that the university is the oldest in Jammu and Kashmir, there is a pressing need that the academics should be felt in the air for which the environment needs to be created.
Industrial interface:
The university administration has to gear up for the industrial interface in terms of on-campus placement of the students as the university is running some courses which can be utilized and taken benefit from the industrial link.
To sum up, I want to put emphasis on the fact that the incumbent vice-chancellor has completed her tenure of three years and now she has got two more (bonus) years. So, the stage is set for her to make a real difference. And if she is able to make a mark, she will be remembered for times to come.
The author teaches Mathematics at JK Institute Mathematical Sciences and the views are personal nothing to do with the organisation he works for.
