The University of Mumbai has issued a circular to 241 colleges out of the 679 affiliated colleges, asking them to get their NAAC accreditation done in the current academic year, failing which action will be taken against them as per rules. The rules stipulate cancellation of approval or derecognition of the college on failing to get themselves accredited, despite being in existence for a minimum of six years.
Pursuant to a state order dated June 18, 2013, the circular issued by Dr M.A. Khan, registrar of the University, states that non-government aided and permanently unaided colleges have to get their NAAC accreditation or re-accreditation done if they wish to continue offering courses in the college.
The circular enumerates the names of 241 colleges offering traditional and self-financed courses that have completed a minimum of six years of offering the courses, but have failed to get accreditation. This had been made mandatory by a Gazette of India dated January 19, 2013, and colleges were expected to comply with the rules before the start of the new academic year 2013-14. However, as many colleges have failed to get accredited, the University circular has asked them to do so at the earliest.
The circular enlists colleges offering Arts, Architecture, Commerce and so on. However, the most errant colleges are those offering Arts and Science, and colleges that have started offering self-financed courses like BMM, BMS, BFM, BBI, BSc IT and so on. Shockingly, 24 educational colleges offering BEd are yet to get accredited even though they started offering courses in or before 2006-07. Almost 33 colleges offering various engineering courses are also guilty of not getting accredited.
“NAAC sets very high standards for both infrastructure and academics to ensure that the students have an atmosphere conducive to excelling in their chosen stream,” said a University spokesperson. The colleges have been given the current academic year to get themselves accredited.