Hyderabad: NAAC to go in for digital forensic investigation of SSR, SSAs

Hyderabad: Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) submitting manipulated and fabricated Self Study Reports (SSR) and Self Assessment Reports (SARs) to the regulatory and assessment authorities are soon going to be a thing of past.

Reason being, the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) are National Board of Accreditation (NBA) are roping in the digital forensics to run the online submitted SSR and SARs by the HEIs.

Speaking to The Hans India, an official dealing with the assessment wing of the NAAC, Bengaluru said, "We cannot disclose the specifics about a particular college. But, the expert assistance is being sought wherever the officials concerned found the credentials of a document submitted are questionable."

Once the experts confirm any digital manipulation of the documents, then, we will call the concerned colleges for explanation. "If the answer tendered by them is not satisfactory, then, the issue is placed before the NAAC council to take a decision," he added.

It was following the process that two colleges, one in Telangana and another in Andhra Pradesh have been issued notices blacklisting them resubmitting the SSRs.

According to the sources from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad (JNTUH), "if the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and University Grants Commission (UGC) takes any such action, then, they communicate with the affiliated universities like JNTUH. However, NAAC and NBA, being independent entities can directly take a decision and communicate to the colleges concerned," the official said.

However, the colleges in question were barred from resubmitting SSR for upgrading their existing NAAC rating of accreditation for five years. And, it is nothing to do with the blacklisting the college.

Students who have already taken admission and academic studies of the students studying in these institutions will not be affected, he clarified. But, the NAAC decisions might have an adverse effect at the time of inviting corporate entities for campus recruitments. Unless the colleges go for an appeal over the NAAC decision by submitting evidence and get themselves cleared, the sources added.