Assessment and Accreditation of Higher Education in India

Assessment and Accreditation are essential norms to maintain standards in various educational institutes. Accreditation serves as both a quality assurance and accountability mechanism for our learning institutions. It is a voluntary process of self-regulation and nongovernmental peer review supported, in general, by providers of tertiary education and examines the philosophy, goals, programs, facilities, resources, and financial viability of the institution. The culture of assessment and the information it generates should be embedded effectively within all institutional systems. This would enable an organization to focus their attention on the assumptions they make with respect to student learning and to promote a culture of continuous assessment and improvement in order to elevate students' quality of learning. It is through a process of programmatic assessment that evidence is gathered to support an application for accreditation to an appropriate accrediting agency. The present paper attempts to discuss both assessment and accreditation norms across the world with a special reference to India especially, under the light of National Education Policy 2020.