The recent bribery scandal involving officials of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) is a black mark on India’s higher education sector at a time when the sector is already demoralized by regular instances of examination fraud. 

Responding to allegations that bribes were paid to secure an A++ rating for Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation (KLEF) in Vaddeswaram, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, during a National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) inspection, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested 10 individuals, including the chairman and six members of the NAAC inspection committee.

The NAAC was set up in 1994 as an independent body of the University Grants Commission to assess and accredit higher education institutions (HEIs) in the country. If an organization set up to “address the issues of deterioration in quality of education” falls prey to corruption, what hope is there for the future of higher education in the country?

The impartiality of the accreditation process now has a huge question mark hanging over it.