New Delhi: Jamia Millia Islamia has been ranked A++ in the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) review, according to a university statement issued on Tuesday.
The grading provided by the NAAC is crucial for funds and grants allotted to a university by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
Jamia Millia Islamia got a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.61. The CGPA for A++ accreditation is between 3.51 to 4.
The university had been ranked A in the first cycle of the NAAC review in 2015.
Jamia Millia Islamia vice chancellor Najma Akhtar said she ensured that the morale of the students wasn’t affected during the coronavirus pandemic and even when the university became the epicentre of protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).
“There cannot be any reason and magic. One has to make people realise that they have potential. When the NAAC team came, everyone was prepared. It was not a one-day thing, it is a five-year affair (after the first cycle). We worked hard and it is a team effort,” Akhtar told PTI.
Jamia Millia Islamia had become the epicentre of anti-CAA protests after police barged into the campus and allegedly attacked students studying inside the library on December 15, 2019.
The police had said they entered the campus to look for outsiders involved in violence during the protests, a few metres away from the university.
Talking about that period, Akhtar said, “Ups and downs are a part of life. They will come. My students were beaten by police and I was standing with them. I never let their morale go down and their faith in the leadership go down.”
“Even during the COVID-19 situation, we managed to keep the belief that the institution is with the students. We kept organising national and international webinars so that people stayed busy. We ensured that placements, exams and everything went off smoothly for students despite the pandemic,” she said.
Akhtar said the A++ accreditation will help the university get funding for projects.
“When we apply for projects, it will send out a positive message. When you ask for funds from a funding agency, it will help. The belief of the world in the university has increased.
“After five years, the NAAC accreditation will happen again and we cannot sleep. We have to maintain this ranking,” she said.