The Role of Accreditation in Shaping Academic Standards: A Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36676/urr.v12.i2.1520Keywords:
Accreditation, Quality Assurance, Higher Education, Indian Universities, Academic Standards, NAAC, NBA, Institutional Performance, Comparative StudyAbstract
The process of accreditation has emerged as a vital mechanism for ensuring and enhancing the quality of higher education across the globe. In the context of Indian universities, accreditation serves not only as a benchmark for academic standards but also as a catalyst for institutional improvement, accountability, and competitiveness. “This review paper critically examines the role of accreditation in shaping academic quality by analysing a wide spectrum of National and Iinternational literature. It explores how accreditation frameworks—particularly those governed by agencies like NAAC and NBA—impact curriculum design, teaching methodologies, infrastructure development, and overall institutional performance. Through a comparative lens, the study evaluates how accreditation has influenced higher education quality in India relative to other global practices, drawing insights from countries like the USA, Chile, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Ukraine, and Taiwan. Findings suggest that while accreditation promotes a structured approach to quality assurance, its effectiveness is often hindered by excessive bureaucracy, variability in institutional readiness, and a focus on compliance over innovation. The review highlights both the achievements and limitations of the accreditation system and offers recommendations for more adaptive, outcome-based, and context-sensitive approaches. Overall, the paper underscores that meaningful accreditation practices are critical for advancing the academic standards and global relevance of Indian higher education institutions.
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