THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After being re-accredited with the top grade of A++ by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), the University of Kerala (KU) has now set its eyes on becoming an institution of eminence and stepping up research activities in various domains including space science.
With a grade point of 3.67, which is the highest among state government-funded universities, KU hopes to get enhanced funding from central agencies such as the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) and also from the Department of Science and Technology. The university now has the NAAC grade point equivalent to the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru which is ranked No. 1 among universities in the country in the National Institutional Ranking Framework.
“The top NAAC grade increases the university’s chances of being recognised as an institution of eminence. With increased funding from various agencies, we will be able to further ensure the all-round development of the university and increase our focus on research,” said university Pro Vice-Chancellor P P Ajayakumar.
According to the official, the varsity sees a huge potential for itself in the field of space research. The presence of many national institutions dealing with space science has made the task easier for the varsity. Already, the university has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) for collaboration in space research.
“The proposed Thanu Padmanabhan Centre for Astrophysics will be a major milestone in the university’s research initiatives in space science. The state government has already promised adequate support for the initiative,” Ajayakumar said.
The decisive factors
Looking back, teamwork, perseverance and foresight helped the university earn the A++ grade, seven years after being re-accredited with an ‘A’ grade. The Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) of the university, headed by Gabriel Simon Thattil, coordinated various crucial activities that were taken into account for awarding the top grade.
The university began preparing the self-study report in February 2020 and completed it by November 2021. This was followed by elaborate preparations for the NAAC team’s visit to the varsity which happened in June this year. According to Thattil, significant transformation in the university infrastructure, introduction of new courses, shift into outcome-based education mode and research initiatives were the crucial factors that earned the varsity the top grade.
“Whenever national and international agencies call for proposals, a crucial question they ask is the accreditation status of the university. The top NAAC grade is an added advantage as it helps us apply for more research projects. For students, their placement and internship chances also become high and their degrees will be highly valued,” Thattil said.
Benefiting society
According to the pro VC, the NAAC team specially noted research activities of the university that proved beneficial to society. The department of geology, for instance, has adopted many villages in Alappuzha and carried out studies on issues affecting them such as water scarcity. An initiative by the department of environment science to study issues relating to landslides in Amboori village was another such initiative.
“The university also earned maximum grade points of 3.96 for its best practices that included the ‘Harithalayam’ project through which the varsity cultivated paddy over an area of 15 acres,” Ajayakumar said.The varsity’s efforts to replace acacia and eucalyptus trees with fruit-bearing trees, indigenous to the state, also won it a lot of accolades.