National Assessment and Accreditation Council: Awareness & Perception of Physiotherapy Faculty

Background: In India, the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) is an autonomous body under the University Grant Commission (UGC), ensuring continuous quality improvement and quality assurance in higher education institutions. Despite facing challenges, many institutes in India seek accreditation from NAAC. Given the growing field of physiotherapy education in India, it is crucial to evaluate the awareness and perception of faculty members working in physiotherapy colleges about NAAC accreditation. Methods: A cross-sectional E-survey study was conducted using a purposive snowball sampling method for physiotherapy faculty members practising within Indian Physiotherapy Colleges or universities, irrespective of whether their institutes were NAAC accredited or not included in this study. Results: the survey found that 75% of respondents were from Delhi NCR while only 25% were from outside Delhi, with half having 5-10 years of experience. Only 25% worked at NAAC-accredited institutes, although all recognised the accreditation process’s significance. They understood the steps for accreditation; key challenges included data collection, limited resources, and infrastructure. Overall, faculty awareness of NAAC accreditation’s importance is excellent, highlighting a need to ease the evaluation process. Conclusions:  The study revealed that physiotherapy faculties recognise the importance of NAAC accreditation in improving institute quality and are well-informed about its benefits and challenges.