HiEd Log

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. ...

How do we measure the growth of an institution? Traditionally, growth has been expressed in years, numbers, and size — the length of time an institution has existed, the expansion of its buildings, the increase in schools and departments, or the swelling numbers of faculty and students. These markers certainly add weight and aura, sometimes even prestige. Yet, the quality of growth of a Higher Education Institution (HEI) cannot be captured merely through its physical footprint or numerical strength. True growth lies in the quality it sustains, the reputation it builds, and the impact it creates for students, faculty, and society at large. Classical parameters such as academic yield, scholarly output, public reputation, and community engagement have long provided meaningful measures of institutional excellence. These remain essential, for they ground institutions in their academic credibility and social responsibility. At the same time, the landscape of higher education is undergoing pr...