Shimla – The Himachal Pradesh government has unveiled a new, independent ranking system for state colleges, linking their performance directly to the allocation of additional grants. This initiative, distinct from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) accreditation, aims to evaluate and enhance educational quality across the state’s higher education institutions.
The Directorate of Higher Education has directed all college principals to commence this ranking process, which will assess various aspects of institutional performance. With 134 degree colleges in the state educating around 1,15,000 students, this ranking system is expected to play a pivotal role in ensuring that funds are distributed based on merit and performance.
The newly introduced ranking system will operate independently of NAAC accreditation, focusing instead on a set of criteria tailored to the state’s specific educational needs. These criteria include academic results, student enrollment numbers, the publication of college magazines, the organization of academic conferences, the quality and availability of library facilities, and the effective use of state-allocated budgets.
To ensure a thorough and fair evaluation, committees have been established at the state, zonal, and cluster levels, with inspections of the colleges set to follow. The state-level committee, led by the Director of Higher Education, will oversee the entire process. Colleges will be awarded marks across several categories: 140 marks for teaching and learning, 280 marks for student support services, 160 marks for infrastructure, 220 marks for institutional management, 80 marks for best practice innovation, and 100 marks for faculty profile research.
This ranking process will continue until December 31, with colleges required to conduct self-assessments based on the outlined criteria. However, factors outside the control of the college principals will not be considered in the final state ranking, ensuring that the evaluation is both fair and reflective of the institutions’ true performance.
In addition to this ranking initiative, a recent meeting chaired by the Education Secretary emphasized the importance of NAAC accreditation for maintaining national educational standards. However, the state’s new ranking system will offer a more localized and tailored assessment of each college’s performance, guiding the distribution of state funds.
The state government plans to release funds to colleges based on their ranking outcomes, with extra grants awarded to those institutions that demonstrate excellence in various areas. This performance-based funding model is expected to drive improvements across the state’s colleges, ultimately benefiting the students and enhancing the overall educational landscape in Himachal Pradesh.
