The Proliferation of Quality Cells: When Assurance Becomes an Obsession
It has been a long time since Quality Assurance Cells (QACs) were established in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) across the country. The constitution of Internal Quality Assurance Cells (IQACs), mandated by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), was intended to provide a central mechanism to lead, coordinate, and sustain quality enhancement efforts within institutions. While some HEIs have turned their IQACs into cosmetic appendages—report-churning units that exist mainly to boost numbers for rankings and accreditation narratives—many have embraced the idea meaningfully, using it to nurture quality practices across teaching, learning, and governance. The outcomes are visible, though the excessive documentation that accompanies these efforts often attracts criticism, particularly when it becomes an end in itself, disconnected from real academic practices. A more recent offshoot of the IQAC framework is the growing number of QACs established at the college level. ...