UGC sets approval deadline

Hyderabad: The University Grants Commission has set a  June 1, 2014 deadline for universities and colleges to seek mandatory accr-editation from National Assessment and Accreditation Council.

The UGC has warned that it will stop funds and grants to institutions that fail to secure accreditation. Only seven state universities — Acharya Nagarjuna University, Guntur, Andhra University, Vizag, Kakatiya University, Warangal, Telugu University, Hyderabad, Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Anantapur, Sri Padmavathi Mahila University, Tirupati and Sri Venkateshwara University, Tirupati — are accredited now.

Universities depend on UGC grants and funds even to pay salaries to staff due to poor funding by the state government. As per UGC’s latest directives, it is mandatory for all  universities and colleges of in existence for more than six years to secure Naac accreditation.

“The commission has toughened its stand as a large number of varsities have  yet  to apply for  accreditation even after it was made mandatory  in March this year.

This is the final extension of deadline and the commission will stop grants for varsities and colleges that fail to ail to get accredited within the deadline,” said Prof D.N. Reddy, member, UGC.