NAAC to launch AI-based accreditation system, targets 90% coverage in five years

The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) is set to introduce a new accreditation system for higher education institutions this August, replacing traditional physical inspections with artificial intelligence-driven assessment and online document verification.

The reform is designed to significantly expand accreditation coverage and eliminate concerns of integrity that have surrounded the existing system. NAAC Chairman Prof Anil Sahasrabudhe confirmed that the new system aims to accredit over 90% of India's higher education institutions (HEIs) within the next five years.

“The earlier model had nearly 90 parameters, 70 per cent of which were verified through document-based evidence and 30 per cent through peer team visits. But peer visits led to complications and integrity concerns. That’s why, in the new system, there will be no physical visits for basic accreditation,” Prof Sahasrabudhe said. “Instead, the process will rely on verified documents.”

The shift is based on recommendations from a committee led by former ISRO Chairman Dr. K Radhakrishnan, formed by the Ministry of Education in 2022 to revamp the accreditation process. At present, only about 40% of universities and 18% of colleges are accredited in India.

The new framework will follow a two-tier model:

• Basic Accreditation: Institutions will be classified as either "accredited" or "not accredited" based on a simplified evaluation. Universities will be assessed on 55 parameters, autonomous colleges on 50, and affiliated colleges on 40. Minimum score thresholds will be 50% for universities, 45% for autonomous colleges, and 40% for affiliated ones.
• Maturity-Based Graded Accreditation: Accredited institutions can progress to a graded level system with five maturity levels. Higher levels will involve more complex parameters and, from Level 3 onward, may require hybrid physical visits.
• Accredited institutions from previous NAAC systems (those rated A, A+, or A++) will be eligible to apply directly to the graded track.

“We want institutions to voluntarily opt in and raise the bar,” Sahasrabudhe said. “For example, a university that clears the basic benchmark might need to meet about 80 to 100 parameters to be eligible for higher levels. The exact parameters for each level are being fine-tuned.”

A central innovation in the system is the use of artificial intelligence to validate institutional claims and ensure credibility. Rather than relying on small peer-review teams, NAAC will use a stakeholder-driven validation process.

Based on the documents submitted by institutions, machine learning tools will generate questions, which will then be randomly assigned to a pool of about 100 assessors—including faculty members, former vice-chancellors, industry experts, and civil society representatives.

These assessors will evaluate the data’s authenticity, contributing to a credibility score for each institution on a scale from 0 to 1. All institutions begin at a default score of 0.5. Verified submissions increase the score, while discrepancies cause it to drop.

“This is our indigenous method of stakeholder validation. We believe in trust, but with verification,” the NAAC Chairman said. “If an institution submits fake documents, its score will fall. Institutions found guilty may be barred from accreditation for up to three years.”

Notably, the system also monitors the credibility of the assessors themselves using AI tools.

The new model is aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. It supports innovation, multilingualism, multiple entry-exit options, environmental sustainability, and internationalisation. Foreign universities operating campuses in India will also be eligible to apply under the framework.