Accreditation is a process of quality assurance and improvement, whereby a programme in an approved Institution is critically appraised to verify that the Institution or the programme continues to meet and/or exceed the Norms and Standards prescribed by regulator from time to time. It is a kind of recognition which indicates that a programme or Institution fulfills certain standards.

Why accreditation?

The purpose of the accreditation by NBA is to promote and recognize excellence in technical education in colleges and universities - at both the undergraduate and post graduate levels. Institutions, students, employers, and the public at large all benefit from the external verification of quality provided through the NBA accreditation process. They also benefit from the process of continuous quality improvement that is encouraged by the NBA's developmental approach to promote excellence in technical education. Through accreditation, the following main purposes are served:

• Support and advice to technical institutions in the maintenance and enhancement of their quality of provision;

• confidence and assurance on quality to various stakeholders including students;

• assurance of the good standing of an Institution to government departments and other interested bodies;

• enabling an Institution to state publicly that it has voluntarily accepted independent inspection and has satisfied all the requirements for satisfactory operation and maintenance of quality in education.

Impact of accreditation

The purpose and impact of accreditation goes far beyond quality assurance of an Institution and its programs. Major impacts of accreditation system are summarized below:

• Encourages quality improvement initiatives by Institutions.

• Improves student enrollment both in terms of quality and quantity.

• Helps the Institution in securing necessary funds.

• Enhances employability of graduates.

• Facilitates transnational recognition of degrees and mobility of graduates and professionals.

• Motivates faculty to participate actively in academic and related Institutional / departmental activities.

• Helps create sound and challenging academic environment in the Institution, andContributes to social and economic development of the country by producing high quality technical manpower

Benefits and Significance of Accreditation

Accreditation is a tool that stakeholders use to monitor, assess and evaluate the standards and quality of the education a student receives at a college, university or other institution of higher learning. Some of the major benefits enrolled students receive by attending an accredited institution / program are as follows:

• Accredited institution / program offers the highest quality education available;

• Accredited institution / program strengthens consumer's confidence, employers value degrees of an accredited program the most;

• Accreditation helps institutions to know their strengths, weaknesses and opportunities, pushes them to continuously improve their programs and give them a new sense of direction, identity and targets; and

• Accredited institution / progam demonstrates accountability to the public, commitment to excellence and continuous quality improvement.