Patna: Patna University, which missed the deadline last year for National Assessment and Accreditation Council (Naac) grading, is making a fresh push to be evaluated.

The country's seventh-oldest varsity does not have a grade from Naac, the nodal agency that assesses higher-education institutes across the country.

The university administration has asked its postgraduate departments to submit their self study reports (SSRs) by March 16. After the departments hand in their SSRs - that have detailed information on nine points including student strength, teacher strength, infrastructure facilities and research work - the university will compile them and upload it on the Naac website, after which a team from the agency will visit the varsity for inspection.

"As Naac is a must and important for any university, we have decided to go for Naac grading in the next grading phase, which will be held in May-June," said N.K. Jha, dean, students welfare.

The university first decided to go for Naac grading in October last year. The varsity administration fixed November 7 as the deadline for submitting the SSRs. However, none of the departments were able to submit it on time, forcing the varsity to extend the deadline to December 11. Even then, many departments failed to submit the SSR on time.

The department head of a science stream said: "We are in process of preparing the SSR. We could not prepare the SSR on time the last time due to shortage of teachers. "

Some of the other parameters for the SSR include teaching/learning programmes, audio video programmes, research activities for both teachers and students, infrastructure including canteens, playgrounds, common room for students, sanitation and cells such as anti-ragging cell, student grievances cell, teacher/employee grievance cell.

The institutes are graded on a scale from A++ (best), A+, A, B++, B+, B, C, to D (worst).