Venki, Gargi lose elite tag

By Richha Bhatnagar

Two very well known colleges of Delhi University have left the ‘Excellence’ club. University Grants Commission has recalled the status of 'College with Potential for Excellence' granted to Sri Venkateswara College and Gargi College. Both the colleges have failed to get the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) approval.

Since the beginning of the 11th five year plan, NAAC accreditation has become mandatory. NAAC is run by UGC and it conducts periodical review of institutions to ensure quality education. A college should get at least three stars or a B grade to be eligible to apply for excellence status.

To get this certification an educational institution needs to prove its worth for excellence through quality teaching, infrastructure facilities and students' performance, among other factors. A monetary grant of Rs. 35 lakh to Rs. 1.5 crore is also provided to help the institute to improve its infrastructure.

Meera Ramachandran, principal of Gargi College stated that till date they haven't received any formal notification regarding this.

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