Patna: Patna University (PU) is lagging behind in its push to be graded by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (Naac), the central body for assessing higher educational institutions in the country.

The 100-year-old university decided to go for Naac grading for the first time in October this year, with the varsity administration fixing November 7 as the deadline for its postgraduate departments to submit their self-study reports (SSRs). The SSR provides details onnine points, including student and teacher strength, infrastructure facilities and research work, but many department heads failed to submit the report.

The varsity extended the date for submitting the SSRs to December 11, but till Thursday the varsity administration is yet to receive the reports from all departments.

The varsity administration is worried as it has to upload on the University Grants Commission (UGC) website by December 21 the detailed report on the university after compiling the SSRs from the departments.

"We are yet to get the self study report from around half a dozen postgraduate depa-rtments," said Patna University dean of students' welfare N.K. Jha.

"We are worried as December 21 is the deadline for submitting the university's report on the UGC website. Once the university gets the SSRs from all the departments, a detailed report of the varsity has to be prepared, which is a time-consuming process."

Once a university uploads its report on the UGC website, a Naac team visits the varsity to assess the teaching and infrastructure facilities.

If the varsity fails to upload its detailed report by December 21, the university will next get a chance to apply for Naac grading in June.

"The self-study report has to be prepared on nine parameters. Collecting information on all nine parameters is not a day's work. Also, with the staff crunch, departments are facing a tough task in preparing the SSRs," a head of department at PU said under cover of anonymity.

The teacher said some of the other parameters in the SSR are details of teaching/learning programmes, audio/video programmes, research activities for both teachers and students, infrastructure including canteen, playground, common room for students, sanitation facilities and cells such as anti-ragging cell, student grievances cell, teachers' and employees' grievance cell.

A university is graded from A++ (best), to D (worst). A D grade - cumulative grade point average of less than or equal to 1.50 - means that the institution is not accredited. In Bihar, many universities have Naac grade, but most fare poorly - except Chanakya National Law University which has an A grade.

Magadh University, which went for Naac accreditation in 2015, has C grade, while LN Mithila University, Darbhanga, has B grade.