By OUR STAFF REPORTER
Srinagar (Garhwal), 23 Jun: Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University (Central University) has been accredited as an ‘A Grade University’ by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC)
The NAAC peer team visited HNB Garhwal University from 6 to 8 June 2024 for assessment under 3rd Cycle of NAAC Assessment. The university has been accredited as an ‘A Grade University’ by the NAAC in the 3rd cycle. The HNB Garhwal University was accredited by NAAC for the first time in 2003, and the University was accredited as ‘B++’ university. The assessment under Cycle 2 was in 2016, in which the university was accredited as an ‘A Grade University’ and the current assessment under Cycle 3 was for the assessment period 2017-2022 in which the university has successfully retained its “A” accreditation. For Cycle 3, the university was assessed under a totally revised framework of NAAC Assessment and Accreditation.
The Vice Chancellor of HNB Garhwal University has stated that this is a significant achievement, especially considering that progress was hampered during two of the five assessment years (2020 and 2021) due to COVID-19 pandemic. But the university not only handled the challenges successfully but also made best use of the online mediums during this period also.
The NAAC assessment Peer team praised the infrastructure and learning resources available and expressed great satisfaction and appreciation with the management and operations of all the university’s campuses. The NAAC peer team remarked that the university is performing exceptionally well despite the challenging geographical circumstances and managing two additional campuses located far from the university headquarters. The team was pleased with the university’s curricula, teaching and learning activities, and research publications by faculty members. The university’s performance was appreciated in the areas of Governance, adoption of the modules of the SAMARTH portal, Leadership, Management, Institutional Values, and Best Practices during the assessment period. The NAAC team particularly highlighted two centers of excellence: HAPPRC and the Museum of the Himalayan Archaeology. They commended the university’s governance and leadership, and initiative of the HNB Garhwal University of the formation of the Indian Himalayan Central University Consortium of the thirteen central universities of the Indian Himalayan Region for preparing five Himalayan region-specific reports for NITI Aayog., the effective introduction and implementation of the New Education Policy, and the curricula’s focus on Indian Himalayan region studies. The team’s report has also expressed its appreciation of the university’s infrastructure and extraordinary work being done under difficult circumstances by the departments in all three campuses.
However, the NAAC team under the chairpersonship of Prof SP Bansal, Vice Chancellor, Central University of Himachal Pradesh, Dharmshala, raised concerns about the student-teacher ratio and the number of vacant seats during the assessment period. They also suggested strengthening the alumni association and increasing campus placements. The team appreciated the Vice Chancellor’s efforts to improve the student-teacher ratio, which is expected to yield positive results in the near future. The new appointments numbering 185 have significantly improved the ratio, which will be reflected in the university’s next NAAC assessment.
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof Annpurna Nautiyal, has congratulated the students, teaching, and non-teaching staff for their hard work in maintaining the university’s quality and performance. She expressed hope that, with this strong foundation, and recent addition of new teaching and non- teaching staff the university will achieve new heights of success.
