The visit of the NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council) peer team to an educational institution is an important occasion. As the University Grants Commission is serious about the accreditation of all educational institutions and the funding of the institutions is likely to depend on their accreditation, universities and colleges make elaborate preparations to get a positive rating from the NAAC peer team.
The mood in Aligarh Muslim University is upbeat. This week, an NAAC peer team, led by Jamia Hamdard Vice Chancellor Professor G.N. Qazi and including in its rank many other vice chancellors of the universities and distinguished academics, visited AMU and assessed the performance of the university in different fields. In a rigorous schedule, the team visited various departments of studies and interacted with the students and the faculty of AMU.
The NAAC team was especially interested in assessing the distinctive features of the departments. The outreach programmes undertaken by the departments and their impact on society was very much their concern. Another point of interest was the presence of meaningful courses offered by various departments and the adoption of innovative methods of teaching.
The university has been making preparations for its accreditation for the last two years. The results of these preparations are visible in different ways. The university, led by its vice chancellor General Zameer uddin Shah, has taken up a cleaning-up operation as part of the preparations. Most departments have been painted tastefully. False ceilings have been put up in many old buildings to give them a better look. New tiles have been laid on the floors of a lot of buildings. New furniture has replaced the old and overused chairs and tables. As put by Brigadier Ahmad Ali, the AMU pro vice-chancellor, “The university has turned in a new leaf.”
More importantly, AMU has discovered itself to be a judicious thrower. Useless files and papers which had been gathering dust and occupying precious space have been discarded. Condemnation committees in different departments have been active to throw out ugly clutter.
Upon taking charge as the Vice Chancellor of AMU in 2012, General Zamir Uddin Shah religiously took up the job of developing and updating the University website. Today, all relevant information about AMU is helpfully available on the website. The profile of teachers with their detailed CVs is available on the official site. The achievements of the departments, their vision and mission for the future and the details of special honour and distinction achieved by the faculty have been put on display on colourful posters and aesthetically pleasing flexi-boards.
One of the oldest universities in the country, AMU has always been known for its sprawling green campus, updated curricula, quality research programmes, libraries with an impressive collection of books, a rich sporting culture and a liberal and progressive outlook. With their research and publications, a significant number of AMU faculty has been bringing laurels to the university quietly and unobtrusively. The university also boasts a rich alumni network which has an international presence. Many students and the faculty believe that these achievements of the university must weigh in with the NAAC team.
(Mohammad Asim Siddiqui teaches English at Aligarh Muslim University)
