32nd Foundation Day celebrations of National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), Bengaluru on 16th September, 2026

In line with tradition, NAAC celebrated its 32nd Foundation Day on September 16, 2026, at its Bengaluru campus. Prof. Gobardhan Das, Member of NITI Aayog was the Chief Guest on the occasion and delivered the Foundation Day Address. Prof. Nageshwar Rao, Chairman of the Executive Committee, NAAC and Prof. Ganesan Kannabiran, Director of NAAC, presided over the celebrations. The event saw the active participation of Vice-Chancellors, academics, and other stakeholders from the higher education sector. Senior officers and staff of NAAC participated in the celebrations.

Prof Gobardhan Das, Member Niti Aayog, New Delhi

The quality of higher education is measured through the Outcomes created and demonstrated for stakeholders such Students, Industry including SMEs and the Society. Significant improvements in the outcomes to the above stakeholders are vital for achieving Viksit Bharat. Our goals in improving employability of graduates, scholarly publications, research leading innovation and startups, internationalizing Indian education, etc. is important to place our higher education at the global level.

The new model of governance for higher education through Bharat Viksit Shiksha Gunvatta Parishad has clearly captured the essence of NEP2020 as the higher education having excellent and self-governing autonomous institutions with public-spiritedness along with integrity, good governance and transparent public disclosure. Given the importance of quality assurance through accreditation, and the reforms that are to be launched soon, accreditation will drive the higher education system of our country. Realizing the pivotal role of accreditation, a new vertical VBSA has been proposed to strengthen the accreditation ecosystem. With a national level governance system for accreditation coupled with major reforms, Accreditation is moving to the center stage. With three decades of experience, NAAC has developed many accreditation frameworks aligning with national priorities. The historic opportunity is here to implement the reforms in accreditation; mainstream the rural and remote location institutions to promote quality in higher education. With the two-stage accreditation system we will be able to create best practices for the global higher education system. In the next step, there is a need to amalgamate institutional and programme accreditation. It is also necessary to achieve synchronization of programme accreditation Vs Institutional Accreditation Vs Ranking. This can be achieved only through One Nation and One Data Platform and focus on “outcome based” approach in all three areas. On this occasion of Foundation Day, I wish to offer my best wishes for an eventful year in which you are able to launch the Basic Accreditation and Maturity Based Graded Levels.

The next two decades are very important to the nation. I am sure NAAC will strive to prepare a long-term plan to improve the quality of education and its alignment with emerging national priorities. You also have the responsibility to improve their internal quality assurance systems of institutions.

Prof Nageshwar Rao, Chairman Executive Committee

It is stated that only 45% percent of universities and 25% of colleges are accredited. But accreditation is vital to ensure quality education through outcomes to the stakeholders, and place our academic institutions at the global level. We are a diverse country with varied levels of institutions due to the very nature of diversity in the types of programmes and heterogeneity due to Rural Vs Urban, New Vs Old, etc. Therefore, accreditation needed a progressive and adoptable approach.

Prof. Ganesan Kannabiran Director, NAAC.

Dr. Radhakrishnan Committee’s recommendations propose two step approach to quality assurance. Bring a large number of institutions under accreditation through a simple accreditation framework, called Basic accreditation. It will help us to achieve a minimum threshold level of quality and create a quality culture among the institutions. From there, allow the institutions to improve their quality by progressing in character and profile, to become valuable institutions at the national and global levels. Maturity-based Graded levels accreditation aims to achieve this objective.