Bhubaneswar: For the first time, the Department of Higher Education will begin an academic audit of colleges and autonomous universities in the state in an effort to increase their value and encourage their national ranking.
Utkal University, Women’s University of Rama Devi, Ravenshaw University, Cuttack and BJB Autonomous College, Bhubaneswar, will be the first to be audited because they will face national assessments and accreditation council (NAAC) in the coming days.
Officials say expert team (retirees of professors, administrators or those taken from industry) will assess institutional work through online and offline mode.
The team will also be this college and university mentor.
The whole process will be completed in the first week of January.
Subsequent officials said the web portal would be made to maintain a database of college and universities.
Institutions can fill their basic status on the website.
Experts will visit institutions related to verification.
The government also discussed institutional development plans and facilitated the framework of the National Institute Ranking (NIRF), along with NAAC’s assessment.
Academic audits will help institutions increase their NIRF rankings in addition to NAAC values.
The State of Higher Education Board Odisha (OSHEC) has been given the responsibility of academic audits.
NAAC accreditation is pre-requisty for an institution to receive grants from UGC, and financial assistance and funds under Rashtriya Uchchattar Shiksha Abhiyan or deer.
It also reflects the quality of an institution.