Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC)

An Introduction

The terms efficiency, effectiveness, equity and quality have often been used synonymously for an institution to receive excellence. Quality is synonym to the creation of University and it is the hallmark to make a university distinct from others in the competitive age. It is the quality that makes an educational institution to be visible in producing path breaking research outputs and employable graduates. Taking the mandate for enhancement of quality in higher education and research, the University Grants Commission, New Delhi made a policy decision during the 11th Five-Year Plan period for all Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) to establish Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC). The Cell aims to make continuous intervention to provide timely guidance and added value to the functioning of the academic and administrative activities of the University. In order to ensure the continuous improvement in quality parameters, the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Amarkantak, being a Central University, has established the IQAC in November, 2014 as an internal quality assurance mechanism to nurture and foster quality culture for the students, scholars, teachers and ministerial staff. The IGNTU has founded a robust internal quality assurance system, with recognized structure and processes and with flexibility to cater to the diverse needs of the stakeholders. As such, the Cell plans, guides, monitors, reviews and prepares reports relating to Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Enhancement (QE) activities to work towards achieving academic excellence. The IQAC acts as a watchdog and a driving force for the University to ensure quality standard as par with outstanding academic institutions in India and abroad. It channelises and systematizes the efforts and measures to test the quality in curriculum, teaching, research, training, constancy, governance, extension, placements, energy management and ambience through hierarchical structure. Certainly the IQAC is a record-keeping body of the IGNTU to bring to the knowledge of Authorities to maintain and upgrade strengths, address weaknesses and challenges and target opportunities. This National Tribal University needs the IQAC to play the role of a facilitative and participative organ by evolving intervention strategies to subdue deficiencies and enhance quality.

Tenure Of IQAC Committee

The membership of such nominated members shall be for a period of two years. The IQAC should meet at least once in a quarter. The quorum for the meeting shall be two-third of the total number of members. The Agenda, Minutes and Action Taken Reports are to be documented with official signatures and maintained electronically in a retrievable format.

Goals & Functions Of IQAC

In pursuance of the National Action Plan of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), Bangalore, for performance evaluation, assessment and accreditation and quality up-gradation of institutions of higher education, the NAAC proposes that every accredited institute must establish an Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) as a post-accreditation quality sustenance measure. Since quality enhancement is a continuous process, the IQAC will become a part of an institution’s system and work towards realizing the goals of quality enhancement and sustenance. The prime task of the IQAC is to develop a system for conscious, consistent and catalytic improvement in the performance of institutions. The IQAC will make a significant and meaningful contribution in the post-accreditation phase of institutions. During the post-accreditation period, the IQAC will channelize the efforts and measures of an institution towards academic excellence.

As per the UGC Guidelines, two important goals of the IQAC are as follows.

• To develop a quality system for conscious, consistent and catalytic programmed action to improve the academic and administrative performance of the HEIs
• To promote measures for institutional functioning towards quality enhancement through internalization of quality culture and institutionalization of best practices.

Key Functions

In terms of the UGC Regulation 2010, the IQAC shall act as the Documentation and Record-Keeping Cell. This includes assistance in the development of the Academic Performance Indicator (API) criteria based Performance Based Appraisal System (PBAS) proforma by using the indicative template separately developed by the UGC. In order to facilitate the process, all teachers shall submit the duly filled-in PBAS proforma to the IQAC annually.

Major Objectives

The prime objective of the IQAC is to develop a system for conscious, consistent and catalytic action to improve the academic and administrative performance of the institution.

Working Strategies

IQAC shall evolve key strategies to streamline the mechanism and procedures for
ensuring timely, efficient and progressive performance of academic, administrative and financial tasks;
focusing on relevance and quality of academic and research programs;
providing equitable access to and affordability of academic programmes for various sections of society;
adopting and using optimization and integration of modern methods of teaching and learning;
maintaining the credibility of evaluation procedures;
ensuring the adequacy, maintenance and functioning of the support structure and services
creating congenial academic atmosphere for sharing research findings and networking with other institutions in India and abroad for collaboration and exchange programmes.

Key Benefits

IQAC is expected to facilitate / contribute:

• to a heightened level of clarity and focus in institutional functioning towards quality enhancement and facilitate internalization of the quality culture NAAC for Quality and Excellence in Higher Education
• to the enhancement and integration among the various activities of the institution and institutionalize many good practices
• to provide a sound basis for decision making to improve institutional functioning
• to act as a change agent in the institution
• to better internal communication.
• Ensure heightened level of clarity and focus in institutional functioning towards quality enhancement.
• Ensure internalization of the quality culture;
• Ensure enhancement and integration among the various activities of the institution and institutionalize good practices;
• Provide a sound basis for decision-making to improve institutional functioning;
• Act as a dynamic system for quality changes in IGNTU;

The Role Of Coordinator

The Coordinator/Director of the IQAC plays a pre-eminent role in ensuring the effective functioning of all the members. The coordinator of the IQAC may be a senior person with expertise in quality aspects. She/he may be a full-time functionary or, to start with, she/he may be a senior academic /administrator entrusted with the IQAC as an additional responsibility. Secretarial assistance may be facilitated by the administration. It is preferable that the coordinator may have a sound knowledge about the computer, its various functions and usage for effective communication.