On April 9, 2025, the Supreme Court issued a notice regarding a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking measures to ensure a fair and transparent grading system by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).
A bench consisting of Justice PS Narasimha and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was hearing a petition filed by the NGO, Bistro Destino Foundation. The petition raised serious concerns about the transparency and fairness of the grading process conducted by NAAC.
According to the petition, the grading process of NAAC has been marred by significant discrepancies. The plea cites an audit carried out by GAG in March 2023, which revealed glaring flaws in the assessment process. In addition, it highlights the resignation of the NAAC Chairman in 2023, Bhushan Patwardhan, who had raised alarms about malpractices in the grading system used by universities. His resignation letter, as reported in news sources, pointed to manipulations in the system, which he believed were influenced by vested interests. He stated,
“Based on my experience, various complaints from stakeholders, and review committee reports, I had expressed my apprehensions earlier about the possibility of vested interests, malpractices, and nexus among the persons concerned, offering thereby a green corridor by presumably manipulating ICT, DVV (Data Validation and Verification), and PTV (Peer Team Visit) processes leading to the awarding of questionable grades to some HEIs.”
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The NAAC grading system is a multi-step process designed to assess and evaluate HEIs. It includes several stages:
Annual Quality Assurance Report (AQAR) - This report contains important institutional data submitted by HEIs.
Institutional Information for Quality Assessment (IIQA) - A form containing institutional data submitted for approval by the UGC, Ministry of Education, or affiliating universities.
Self-Study Report (SSR) - A detailed analysis of an institution’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges.
Data Validation and Verification (DVV) - A software-based process that validates institutional data, often requiring clarification.
Peer Team Visit (PTV) - A visit by a team of academicians to evaluate the institution, which then contributes to the final accreditation grade.
The final grade is based on 70% weightage from the DVV process and 30% from the Peer Team evaluation.
In addition to concerns about the grading process, the petition draws attention to an ongoing investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into corrupt practices by NAAC officials. On February 1, 2025, the CBI registered a case against NAAC officials and certain educational institutions for accepting bribes in exchange for favorable accreditation scores. The bribes reportedly included cash, gold, mobile phones, and laptops, which further underscored the transactional nature of the accreditation process.
The CBI probe also revealed that over 900 assessors had been removed from their duties by NAAC without conducting reassessments of the institutions they evaluated. The petition raised further concerns about the arbitrary reduction of grades for some institutions after their initial grading without offering them an opportunity to present their case.
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The petitioner has sought several important directions from the court to address the issues raised in the petition:
Fair Grading Process: The petitioner requests a writ, order, or direction to ensure a fair and transparent grading system for HEIs by NAAC or by a committee appointed by the Supreme Court.
Scrutiny of Past Assessments: The petitioner seeks the constitution of a committee to scrutinize NAAC’s assessments and grading of HEIs in the last five years.
Cancellation of Arbitrary Grades: A direction to quash the grades awarded to HEIs after assessments or re-assessments where the institutions were not afforded a fair hearing.
Re-assessment of Institutions: The petitioner requests a re-assessment of the grading of HEIs whose reports were evaluated by assessors who have been removed by NAAC.
Other Reliefs: The petitioner seeks any other relief the court deems fit given the circumstances of the case.
This PIL was filed with the assistance of AOR Manan Verma.
Case Details : Nostro Destina Foundation v. The National Assessment and Accreditation Council & Or | WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) NO . 256 OF 2025