KOCHI: The verdict is out and it is a tad disappointing for the varsity too. The Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) has to be content with ‘A’ in the accreditation given by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) which conducted its inspection in this regard over two weeks ago. The university misses the first two grades of A++ and A+ and is in the third place with ‘A’. It is understood that the university suffered because of having not enough permanent faculty.
Weak campuses like the Pulinkunnu Cochin University College of Engineering Kuttanad (CUCEK) also could not impress the NAAC team. “The details of the NAAC accreditation are yet to reach us. An analysis of the same only can reveal on which counts we missed the best rating,” said an official of the varsity. Cusat has only 52 percent permanent faculty and the rest of the posts are filled by contract and guest faculties. Though all the posts have been sanctioned, the university does not have the finances in the non-plan outlay to pay salary to all staff and hence such appointments are not happening.
“The limited non-plan fund is also spent on paying the salary of 200 odd staff in the self-financing sector who have been confirmed by the university though the posts have not been approved by the government. This paradox has landed the university in the present predicament though it is better placed in several respects and has been able to impress the NAAC team,” said another official. Cusat has made its SF sector staff permanent while other universities in the state have not done so, he said adding the sector has become a burden on the varsity with expenses shooting up.
The NAAC team was impressed by the new Stratosphere-Troposphere Radar facility and also its inclusion in the Make in India programme. The NAAC was headed by Prof. Subbanna Ayyappan, former Director General of Indian Council of Agriculture Research. Cusat Vice-Chancellor Dr J Letha congratulated the staff and students of the university for the team work leading to the present achievement.
The NAAC ranking is based on an extensive criterion of evaluation which constitutes curricular aspects, teaching-learning and evaluation research, consultancy and extension, infrastructure and learning resources, student support and progression governance, leadership and management, innovations and best practices.
