Muzaffarpur, Jan. 3: Baba Saheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar Bihar University authorities have stepped up the process to obtain high grades for a number of colleges affiliated to it from the National Accreditation and Assessment Council (Naac) within this fiscal.

The aim is to get grants for the colleges and all postgraduate departments of the university from the University Grants Commission (UGC) as part of the 12th Five-Year Plan.

In a letter of intent to Naac, the university has urged the accreditation council to evaluate the colleges and the post-graduate departments by March. Naac, an autonomous body funded by the UGC, assesses and accredits institutions of higher education across the country.

The university has selected institutions such as Langat Singh College, Ram Dayalu Singh College and Mahant Darshan Das Mahila College, besides the postgraduate departments, for the evaluation in the first phase.

“The short-listed colleges and the postgraduate departments would get funds as part of the 12th Five-Year Plan from the UGC for overall development. If Naac completes the evaluation process of the institutions within March, rate them highly and recommend funds for them,” said Bimal Kumar, the vice-chancellor (VC) of the university.

According to sources, a Naac team is expected to visit the university either in February or March for an on-the-spot survey as part of the grading process of the colleges and the postgraduate departments.

The team would also inspect the administrative offices and the examination department of the university. The sources said the university has proposed to start degree courses in microbiology, computer application and business administration at Langat Singh College.

The VC, however, expressed concern over the dearth of teachers in its constituent colleges and the post-graduate departments. Keeping this in mind, the university is mulling introduction of the e-learning system to tide over the shortage of teachers for the time being. The plan is to teach the students through the visual display system and provide them with study materials that they could download from the Internet.

The university is also planning to introduce high-tech facilities at its administrative building, hostels and the central library. Besides, plans are afoot to make the accounts and budget sections of the university fully computerised.