Government to revamp accreditation system, implement AI centre

Five years of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, Centre is going to unveil a significant change in the accreditation system for higher education institutions by moving to a binary system - 'accredited' or 'not accredited' - from the current multi-level grading system. The institutions will no longer be graded in comparison with one another but evaluated on the basis of same minimum standards.

Also on the anvil is the rollout of a new 'Bharatiya Bhasha' online tool for direct translation of Indian languages, without going through English as an intermediary. Apart from this, govt will activate a Centre of Excellence in AI in education, as was declared in the 2025 Union Budget.

The announcements are likely to be made on Tuesday at a national function marking the fifth anniversary of NEP-2020, in the presence of top ministers, educationists and state representatives at the Bharat Mandapam here.

The new accreditation model seeks to streamline the process and stimulate greater participation by higher education institutions (HEIs). In contrast to the previous framework, which ranked institutions (A++, A, B, etc.), the new two-part system will have institutions meet minimal standards to become 'accredited'. According to a senior official of the education ministry, "The change was made to counter the resistance of many HEIs to seek accreditation in fear of the work required and uncertainty over gaining a good grade."

The change comes against the backdrop of credibility and participation issues in the existing accreditation system, especially after recent controversies regarding the operations of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (Naac). Erratic grading trends and charges of obscurity had raised eyebrows among scholars and policymakers, leading to a re-examination of the process.

Explaining the new model in more detail, the official added, "In the new model, all institutions that have reached benchmark levels will be graded equally in phase one. From 1 to 5 grading will come in phase two, likely to be initiated in the next five or six months. Institutions will move up the grading scale step by step - from Grade 1 onwards - depending on proven performance data."

The validation of the data would be based on a triangulation approach, with the use of various sources and instruments to ascertain correctness, and excluding Naac's direct participation. Only govt agencies and Institutions of National Importance will be roped in for verification and no physical checks will be conducted.

The 'Bharatiya Bhasha' digital tool will enable easy translation between Indian languages without going through the English route - for example, direct translation from Assamese to Tamil. At the higher education level, the Centre of Excellence in AI in education will be officially initiated to facilitate research and integration of AI tools in instruction and learning.

For school education, the expected announcements include focused infrastructure upgradation and access expansion, such as new Kendriya Vidyalaya and Navodaya Vidyalaya buildings, with commensurate budgetary support.