New Delhi, Jan. 21: A majority of colleges and universities in India are yet to be assessed for quality.

Nearly 60 per cent of colleges and around 50 per cent of the 317 universities across the country have not gone under the scanner.

“It is important to recognise that a substantial portion of colleges and universities are not assessed for quality. We, therefore, do not have the full picture of quality and excellence in the university and college sector,” Sukhadeo Thorat, the University Grants Commission (UGC) chairperson, told a seminar here.

It is not just the quality of primary education that is a matter of concern. The standard of higher education, too, leaves much to be desired.

The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), which is supposed to certify the quality of colleges and universities, has been slipping up. “So far, the UGC has identified only nine universities and 97 colleges with potential for excellence. The NAAC has a much bigger task of assessment and accreditation,” Thorat said.

The primary education scene is much the same. The government claims 93 per cent enrolment in schools but many students — even those who have passed Class V — are not able to read simple sentences or solve math problems.

Besides, he said, expansion in terms of enrolment and number of institutions would mean little unless the quality of education improves. The National Knowledge Commission, in its report submitted to the Prime Minister, has called for both expansion and improvement of institutions.

The commission has recommended reforms to restructure the education system. For instance, it has asked universities to revise the curricula at least once in three years.