UGC identifies 18 Higher Educational Institutions to mentor non-accredited centres in TS, AP

Hyderabad: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has expressed the hope that it can ensure accreditation for 90 non-accredited higher educational institutions (HEIs) in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh States in the next two years.

According to the UGC sources, it is intending to complete the process through its newly introduced 'Paramarsha Initiative.' For this, the UGC has identified 10 high educational institutions (HEIs) in AP and eight in Telangana.

In turn, each of these mentor institutions will enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with five non-accredited and aspirant HEIs to promote Quality Assurance in Higher Education (QAHE).

The UGC said, "Each of the mentor institutions will enter into MoU for a period of one year which is extendable to another year.

During the MoU period, the mentor institutions will facilitate training the faculty and staff of the non-accredited HEIs in proper process, documentation, presentation for the NAAC accreditation."

This way, the mentor will share with the mentee institutions the knowledge, information and resources, explore opportunities for research collaboration and faculty development. Besides the mentor institutions also provide guidance and encouragement to institutions to adopt best practices.

Speaking to The Hans India, a senior official from the Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APCHE) said, "The overall objective of the scheme is to get all the non-accredited institutions to get NAAC accreditation with a minimum score of 2.5 by 2022," he said.

For this, the UGC provides Rs 30 lakh grant to the mentor institutions.

That apart, the apex higher education regulator said Paramarsha also provides the mentor institutions with an additional learning from experience, intellectual change of working in a different environment, opportunities for increased collaboration and satisfaction of helping others and see them succeed.

Further, the mentor institutions will also be given due weightage in the NIRF Ranking and NAAC accreditation as mentors.

Institutions selected as Mentor Institutions in Telangana are St. Pious X Degree College for Women, Nacharam, Hyderabad, VNR Vignana Jyothi Institute of Engineering and Technology, Bachupally, Hyderabad, Guru Nanak Institutions, Ibrahimpatnam, RR district, St. Martin's Engineering College, Dhulapally, RR district, St. Ann`s College for Women, Mehdipatnam, Hyderabad, Kakatiya University, Warangal, Osmania University, Hyderabad, and University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad Institutions selected as Mentor Institutions in Andhra Pradesh are Sri YNM College, Narsapur, West Godavari, Jagarlamudi Kuppuswamy Choudry College, Guntur, PB Siddhartha College of Arts & Science, Vijayawada, Godavari Institute of Engineering & Technology, Rajahmundry, DRW College, SPSR, Gudur, Aditya Institute of Technology and Management, Tekkali, Andhra Loyola College, Vijayawada, CSD St. Theresa`s College for Women, Eluru, Vignan's Institute of Information Technology, Visakhapatnam, GITAM, Rushikonda, Visakhapatnam, KLE Foundation, Guntur, and PVP Siddhartha Institute of Technology, Vijayawada.