BOARD OF ASSESSMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS
The Board of Assessment of Qualifications of the Government of India, which also deals with professional qualifications and equivalence of various awards has a limited view of assessment for a specific purpose, i.e., for governmental employment. Further, as it is practiced, the work of the Assessment Board is a sort of one time evaluation based on a minimum requirement.
For a healthy and effective growth, what is required is a sort of continuous and objective assessment aiming at higher and still higher standards. Even though many agencies, particularly, statutory agencies are involved and any such attempt may not be looked upon with unmixed favour, the point 'to be remembered is that we should without further delay, strengthen our system, by identifying the weaknesses and strength of a particular sector/course/institutions so that there is adequate motivation and direction for further improvement. This comprehensive purpose of assessment, not limited for any objective of recruitment by official agencies only, will act as a spur when such evaluation and assessment is done periodically. This agency for accreditation and evaluation of standards should be a national agency, with perhaps, regional and sectoral wings, as may be required. Professional organisations and persons of standing in the profession and representatives of accredited user agencies should be intimately involved in the work of an agency. A system of frequent and periodical evaluation with provision for a graded scale of attainment of individual courses/departments should be the objective. Such an agency might work under the auspices of the Ministry of Education but not as a part of it; it should be an autonomous Organisation so that it would be free to draw upon expertise wherever available.
(3) Monitoring and Information System: Manpower planning- The setting up of such an agency, of course, presupposes the availability and easy flow of the required information from the various organisations to this agency. A national (and regional) agency for such an information system should be built up without further delay. Any monitoring of man power requirements, availability and utilisation, naturally will be depending upon such an information system being readily available.
