Ganderbal, Oct 6: The Directorate of Internal Quality Assurance (DIQA), Central University of Kashmir (CU Kashmir), began a three-day sensitisation and orientation workshop on “NAAC Data Consolidation and Faculty Profile Updation on the SAMARTH portal” for department nodal officers at the Tulmulla Campus here on Tuesday.
Speaking on the occasion, Registrar Dr Nisar Ahmad Mir said, “The quality of accreditation and ranking depends on how accurately and coherently we present our institutional data. Our focus should be on authentic, consistent and evidence-based information that truly reflects the University’s students, faculty, infrastructure, research and resources.”
He further asked the participating faculty members and other employees to share the proceedings of the workshop with their colleagues.
“What we learn through such programmes must be shared and translated into action across the University so that we are fully prepared for the requirements of NAAC accreditation and other institutional rankings,” Dr Nisar Ahmad Mir added.
Addressing the participants, Director DIQA Prof Syed Zahoor Ahmad Geelani emphasised collective ownership of quality assurance. “We are all part of this university,” he said, adding, “we can never remain in silos.”
Prof Zahoor Geelani warned that the emerging accreditation system would be “data-driven, data-based, and AI-based,” making accuracy, consistency and preparedness indispensable. He said, “We want our data to be foolproof,” and urged every member to share responsibility, capacity and effort.
He further observed, “If we will not change, then the system will change us,” calling upon the university community to continuously update skills, courses, profiles and institutional practices.
Prof Syed Zahoor Ahmad Geelani expressed gratitude to Vice Chancellor Prof A Ravinder Nath for his support and encouragement towards the conduct of the workshop. He acknowledged that the Vice Chancellor’s guidance and commitment to strengthening quality assurance initiatives have provided valuable impetus to the Directorate’s efforts to enhance institutional preparedness.
Head, Department of Physical Education, Dr Kaukab Azeem was also present.
Director Admissions Dr Arif Nazir underlined the importance of presenting institutional data accurately and consistently. Observing that NAAC is “a representation of quantitative and qualitative parameters,” he stressed, “it is how we are representing those numbers” that matters.
He urged departments to take “the representation data numbering, filling of the documents very seriously,” asserting that accurate data affects the university’s image and demonstrates “the seriousness of the work which we are doing.”
Earlier, welcoming the participants, Deputy Director DIQA Dr Faizan Ashraf Mir described NAAC accreditation as “not just a grading system” but “a journey of introspection, a journey of institutional learning and continuous quality enhancement.”
He emphasised that “Quality is not the responsibility of IQAC alone” and is instead “the collective responsibility of every teacher, every faculty member, every department, every school, every administrative unit.”
Dr Gulafroz Jan conducted the programme and Dr Faizan Ashraf proposed the vote of thanks.
Later, during the technical sessions, DIQA members Dr Faizan Ashraf Mir, Dr Moyeed ul Zaffar, Dr Gulafroz Jan, Mr Arshad Me’raj and Mr Imtiyaz Ahmad Najar gave detailed presentations on the filing of AQARs and the data required.
In the second technical session, Er Suhail Ahmad Ahanger gave a presentation on the NIRF ranking system, while Senior Assistant Librarian Dr Tariq Ahmad Shah gave a presentation on research publications and visibility.
