The university had been ranked A in the first cycle of the NAAC review in 2015. Source: Facebook
Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), New Delhi, has bagged the A++ rank from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), with a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.61.
The NAAC accreditation plays a pivotal role for any university while applying for grants and funds from the University Grants Commission (UGC). In order to get the A++ accreditation, a varsity must have a CGPA between 3.51 and 4.
The university announced the NAAC ranking on December 14, with vice-chancellor Najma Akhtar saying, “One has to make people realise that they have potential. When the NAAC team came, everyone was prepared. It was not a one-day thing, it was a five-year affair (after the first cycle). We worked hard and it is a team effort.”
The university had been ranked A in the first cycle of the NAAC review in 2015. According to Akhtar, the A++ accreditation will give the university an edge, helping it get more funding and grants for its various projects.
“When we apply for projects, it will send out a positive message. When you ask for funds from a funding agency, it will help. The belief of the world in the university has increased. After five years, the NAAC accreditation will happen again and we cannot sleep. We have to maintain this ranking,” she said.
Akhtar spoke of the struggles JMI went through during the past few years, recalling how she had ensured that the students’ morale was not affected during the coronavirus pandemic as well as when the university became the epicentre of protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).
“Ups and downs are a part of life. They will come. My students were beaten by police and I was standing with them. I never let their morale go down and their faith in the leadership go down,” she stressed.
Even during the COVID-19 situation, the institution managed to keep the belief that it is with the students. They kept organising national and international webinars so that people stayed busy. The university ensured that placements, exams and other academic activities went off smoothly for students despite the pandemic.