 So, welcome to the post T session. I am happy to invite Dr. Nasa. Many of you know that Dr. Nasa has spent a lot of time in the ministry of human resource development and has been always supportive of activities done by educational institutions. So, welcome Dr. Nasa and all yours. Thank you Professor Fatak. First of all, I would like to thank IIT Bombay and Professor Fatak to give me this an opportunity to interact with, I think everybody is able to hear me. So, you have given me the opportunity to interact with mostly the tier one institutions representatives, the directors of the institutions, registrars and vice-translators. I was asked to present what is accreditation, what is NBA doing. Most of the institutions present here, they know what is accreditation and NBA, but for those who are not from the system, I will just give a brief note on the activities of the NBA and later on about our criteria and what are the activities going on. NBA was established in 1994 by AICT under section 10 U of the AICT Act. It became independent in 2010, but in 2013 it became completely independent of AICTE administratively as well as financially. So, now we are totally independent in decision making as well as financially and we do not receive any grants from Ministry of HRD or any other government agencies for the purpose. We are totally dependent on the fees, we charge for the accreditation from the institutions. The fees for institutions whether it is a government, private, central government, state government is same, there is no discrimination. Just a brief about what accreditation in terms of NBA means, it is a process of quality assurance and improvement, whereby a program in an in approved institution is critically appraised to verify that the institution or the program continues to meet and or exceeds the norms and standards prescribed by the regulator from time to time. It is a kind of recognition which indicates that the program or institution fulfills certain standards. These are our general policy on accreditation. Programs and not educational institutions are considered for accreditation. There are some institutions which write that XYZ College of Engineering is accredited by NBA. That is totally wrong and if my request to all of you who are present over doing this activity kindly remove that from your advertisement because we do not accredit an NBA, an institution. We accredit only the programs and if you have to advertise write that these programs are accredited by NBA. NAC does the accreditation of an institution or a university or a college. The program should be accredited. It should be offered by an educational institution which has been formally approved as an educational institution by the concerned regulatory authority that it is approved by AICTE or Ferreira Deem University by UGC or the State University Act and all that. At least two batches of the program should have the students who should have graduated from that program. The programs are considered for assessment accreditation only at the written request of the institution. We do not ask them to come to us but they have to write, send a request to us saying that you want the program to be accredited. But now I think AICTE has made some mandatory requirement for increase in intake and additional courses and all that. What accreditation says to notify? It notifies the parents and prospective students that the program has met minimum standards, faculty, deems and administrators of the programs, strengths and weaknesses and by ways to improve the program. For employers that graduates are prepared to begin professional practice, the public that graduates are aware of the societal considerations. What are the benefits of accreditation? These are demonstrate accountability to the public, demonstrate the commitment to excellence, its strengthens consumer confidence, it facilitates continuous quality improvement, it improves staff morale, it recognizes the achievements and innovations, it facilitates information sharing, it gets priority in getting financial assistance from the regulatory bodies. For the institutional point of view, it helps the institutions to know its strengths and weakness and the opportunities coming. It initiates institutions into innovative and modern method of pedagogy. It gives the institution a new sense of direction and identity, provides society with reliable information of quality of education offered. It promotes intra and inter institutional interactions. Until 2013, NBA was accrediting the programs on input and output based parameters. After 2013, the NBA criteria has moved to outcome based accreditation. I will come to be later on. Outcome based education is student centered learning as Professor Sridhar was telling about the attributes that the students should have. This outcomes may include a range of skills and knowledge. Outcome based accreditation focus remains on evaluation of outcomes of the program, though output and input parameters are also looked into. Input parameters like infrastructure facilities, resources, administrative practices, academic as well as financial resources were evaluated and output like a success rate of students were predominantly evaluated as dear. What is the outcome based education? May purpose is to accredit the programs where we want to know what should the students learn. It is not that how many students are getting passed. We wanted to know the qualities of the student and what the students should demonstrate to the professional world. Accordingly designing both curricula and delivery mechanism for which we are here today teaching strategies to build the required skills and competence. These are the graduate attributes. These are usually known in the Washington Accord as a graduate attributes. We tell them as a program outcomes. These are specifically needed for the students once it graduates. These are engineering knowledge, problem analysis which Professor Fartak has been stressing since morning. Design and development of solutions, conduct investigation of complex problems, modern tool usage, engineers and the society, environment and sustainability, ethics, individual and team working, communication, project management and finance and the lifelong learning. These are the 12 graduate attributes which a student should have after he has graduated. Now, the NBA has introduced two tier system. One is the tier one documents that is applicable to engineering technology programs offered by academically autonomous institutions and by the university departments and constituent colleges, the university. Most of the participants present here are belongs to the tier one group because they have the academic autonomy. The tier two document is for non-autonomous institutions that is those colleges and technical institutions which are affiliated to a university. They do not have any academic freedom. For both the same set of criteria have been prescribed for accreditation, but the weightage is different for tier one and tier two. Evaluation of tier one institution focus on program outcomes and program educational objectives. This is the more weightage given in that and the tier two institution focus remains as before in the student performance, facilities and technical support and continuous improvement. These are typical examples of tier one institutions. The institutions of national importance like IITs, triple IITs and IITs, universities, deemed universities, private universities and the autonomous institutions. The tier two institutions are the colleges affiliated to universities not enjoying the privileges of academic autonomy and deliver programs prescribed by the university to which they are affiliated and the only university empowered to examine the enrolled students for a world of dignity. NBS criteria of accreditation, there are nine in number. First is institutional vision, mission vision and program educational objectives. Second is program outcome. Third is program curriculum. Fourth is student performance. Fifth is faculty contributions. Six is facilities and technical support. Seventh is academic support unit and teaching learning process. Institutional support and financial resources and the lastly continuous improvement in attainment of outcomes. Now these nine criteria they are as existing as of today but from first of June 5, 6 days before tier two document has been redesigned. It will have 10 criteria. It is already available on our website and we have started implementing the new self-assessment report based on 10 criteria but the institution will have the flexibility till 30th September to opt for the earlier version or the new version. But from first of October it will be the new system of SAR tier two that will be based on 10 criteria. These are the different weightages for tier one and tier two institutions and where you can compare that the vision mission the marks the weightages given to tier one institution in vision mission is 100 in comparison to 75 and the program outcome is 225 in comparison to 150. The student performance as I told you earlier it is in tier two which is given more preference and the continuous improvement also given the most importance in the tier two system. The new SAR tier two as I told you we are going to have 10 criteria instance or in spite of nine earlier. The first is vision mission and program educational objectives, program curriculum and teaching learning process. Here I would like to emphasize then the teaching learning process we are considering the initiatives taken in the improving the teaching learning process where MOOCs can play a very important role we had already in built into the new system. The third one is course outcome and of program outcomes, student performance, faculty information and contribution, facilities and technical support, continuous improvement. These are known as the program based criteria. Then we have institutional level criteria first year academics though it was a little bit part of earlier SAR also but it was not being evaluated and the most important thing here was most of the students who come from various backgrounds during the first year they use that is a lot of difference and it was being neglected in earlier part of SAR. Now it will be a big part in it will play a big role in evaluations from the new SAR. The student support system and the governance institutional support and financial resources. So it has been redesigned into 10 criteria's and I would like to inform you for the tier one institutions also our new SAR is almost final and on 10th of June maybe three four days after we will we are going to have our final meeting for finalizing the tier one document also where most importance has been given to the teaching learning process and the program outcomes. But basically we want to see in the program outcome based accreditation is how much the student is learning. We were earlier dependent on only on the processes that they have they have I mean curriculum has been revised or based on outcome and all that. But the attainment levels were not being looked into here the more emphasis will be how much percentage each percentage of each criteria or each graduate attributes program outcome has been attained. So that the emphasis will be more on the program out attainment level of the program outcome rather than the process being initiated by the tier one institutions or tier one institutions are more matured institutions. So we will like to give more emphasis on the attainment levels. So that will be finalized on 10th and it will be put up to our board once it approves it will circulate it to all the tier one institutions and put up on our website also to seek the comments from all the stakeholders and if there will be any significant comments that will also be incorporated before notifying it for implementation. In tier one institutions we evaluate based on the grades in each of the criteria and the grades are the marks if they are more than 7 equal to or more than approximately 75 percent or more then we give the grade as Y Y is the compliance between 60 to 75 percent we call them as the compliance with concern. There are some concerns where there is scope of improvement where the institutions can address and the between 40 to 60 percent is called as the weakness they have to do a lot to improve in that particular criteria less than 40 is a deficient criteria. For award of every detation in the tier one institutions out of 9 criteria an institution the program has to get at least 7 Y that is 7 criteria should be fully compliant that is the more they should have more than 75 percent marks in at least 7 of the criteria and the remaining 2 criteria should be C that is compliance with concerns there should be no weakness or the deficiency in that particular program then that program is accredited for 5 years and fourth and if there is some weakness in the remaining 2 7 fully compliance and 1 or 2 weaknesses then we give them 3 months time and if that weakness can be converted into a compliance with concerns or compliance that the committee looks into then we give them 3 months compliance a time period and after the compliance report is received from the institution this is again re-evaluated and accordingly decision is taken to accord the accreditation for 5 years otherwise they are accredited for 2 years. For 2 years the decision is taken on at least 3 compliance any 3 criteria they should be fully compliant and there should be no deficiency in the faculty contributions others remaining 6 can be weakness or concerns the program is accredited for 2 years if they have 3 Ys and no D in the faculty no deficiency in the faculty contribution and if they have the deficiency in the faculty contribution their state are very rejected whether it is if the remaining or even 8 Ys will not accredited this is the most important criteria faculty contribution they should not get less than 40 percent marks in that particular criteria. Procedure for accreditation is the institution has to submit the EASAR first they have to register themselves on ENBA most of the institutions are already registered on ENBA after that they have to submit fees and all that and submit the EASAR the base on the SAR we constitute a committee the committee visits the institution and the report is submitted to the moderation committee which we call it to identify the borderline cases borderline cases are where they are either the borderline for 2 years or for 5 years. So, in TA 2 it is 5 percent weightage is given on both side after 600 they may be somewhere in 570 to 630 so they are treated as a borderline case and for 750 also 720 to 780 so they are those are considered a borderline cases we convey those weaknesses and the concerns to the institution to send us the report whether they agree to those recommendations or not they cannot change the thing there may be some mistakes by the evaluation team may be they may not not it properly also there may be some facts which they can correct that the report given by the evaluator is not correct as on the date of the visit but later on if they have added something that not considered the ones that compliance report is received from the institution that is sent to the team chair and team chair presents it before our evaluation engineering evaluation committee. In the presence of the team chair and the team members the EESC members the decision is taken the team chair has to present the case as if it is own institution because he has visited the institution to he presents the case of all the programs to the EESC team and accordingly decision is taken for 2 years or 5 years or not in the recommendation of EESC goes to our subcommittee of academic advisory committee which is chaired by a chairman N B A Dr. Suresh Prasad and they check the inconsistency between various institutions and the programs also accordingly the final decision is taken by the subcommittee of EESC and convey to the institution concerned and the institution still if it is not satisfied they can appeal to us within 30 days of the date of the communication of the result. And in the appeal cases also they have to justify the reason as on the date of the visit not any additional information which has not been provided to the experts or to the in the SAR. And there also the team chair has is called and the representative of the institution comes to the appellate committee and he presents his case in front of the chairman of the visiting team where both of the team has to agree that these things were available on that date or not. So, accordingly the decision is taken by the appellate committee this is about the accreditation of process. We keep the evenings of the visiting teams deliberately kept free of the activities to enable the team to complete the writing of the report which is a very lengthy report. So, we usually give the time of the evening to the visiting team not for the social activities some of the institution engage them in some social activities in the evening that I request you all of you not to do that. It is extremely important to note that the visiting team members do not indicate to the institution whether they would discredit or not agreed the program and that report is strictly confidential. After the conclusion of the exit meeting all contacts of the institution should be through NBA only. After that you cannot interact with the chairman or the visiting team members till the decision is. NBA makes travel arrangement for the team members including accommodation and travel to and from the campus where the program is delivered through authorized travel agencies. Do not ask them for anything that is my request to all of you we do not accept the working lunch during the visit you have to not to do anything. NBA requires every team members to exhibit the highest standard of professionalism honesty and integrity it becomes the duty of chair person to oversee these aspects. We are trying to involve as many as evaluators from IIT's, NIT's, universities and some credible people who are really they may be serving in IIT's earlier they have moved to private institutions and there are some private institutions which have been accredited for 5 years they know all that outcome based accreditation they have the knowledge of the system we also involve them all during our visits. Evaluation team members must be objective and truthful in reports, statement and testimony in the larger group sessions with either faculty or staff must be avoided and it should be totally a random sample. Students groups and the faculty groups are tutored in some of the institutions might be avoid that let the team do their own work. EIT members must strictly adhere to the visit schedule and they must avoid socializing even during the accreditation visit it shall not solicit accept any gratuities from the institutions I have already told you about this. The visit should be conducted in a very polite and cordial atmosphere whether you agree with the evaluation team members or the even evaluation team members do not agree finally be polite put up your case do not argue and we there are some evaluators also here I could see they have to be very polite and do not compare your institution with the institutions you are visiting. You have to simply verify the facts what are available in the institution accordingly write the report do not compare them with IIT's or NIT's or university you belong to you have to see their what is presently there in the institution be polite. Institution shall not offer any gifts etcetera to the team members I usually a given call in the morning of the visit to the institution concerned and tell the principal or the director do not finally do not do this and if any team members also ask finally give a sharing. So that we are also aware of the fact that if there is some demand from anything though all are credible people but there may be some we cannot take and finally ensure that this is not. The self assessment report is consisting of two parts one is institutional and departmental part part 2 seeks that information on these all nine criteria which I have been done and we will incorporate the new essay we have already done it for tier 2 and for tier 1 also we will be doing the same it will be now having the three parts institutional information and the program level that basic information of the institution will be there but the institutional parameters which will be there that will become the third part now. India became a member of the Washington Accord in June 2014 last year and the next meeting of the Washington Accord is a weeks ahead may be around 20th June that is in Turkey where this item of MOOCs blended course is also coming I cannot share with you right now because that agenda is totally confidential whatever will the decision will be will come communicate it to all the concerned authority and but MOOCs has been already incorporated in not exactly written as a MOOCs but the new in methods in teaching and learning and that should be demonstrated and that should be well publicized in your website also that you are doing it and others can really copy it or may be modify and improve the system also that should be implemented by other institution also. Thank you very much.