Section 2 in The University Grants Commission (Recognition and Monitoring of Assessment & Accreditation Agencies) Regulations, 2018
2. Definitions.
- In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires-(a)"Academic quality" means the quality of teaching, learning and research and consequently their contribution to enhancement of knowledge and includes physical infrastructure, human resources (including faculty), administration, course curricula, admission and assessment procedures and governance structures, of the higher educational institution and includes standards as laid down by the appropriate statutory regulatory authority;(b)"Accreditation" means the process of quality assurance in Higher Education Institutions, whereby, as a result of evaluation or assessment or by any other scientific method followed by accreditation agencies, an HEI or programme(s) conducted therein is recognised as conforming to bench marked parameters of academic quality;(c)"Accreditation Advisory Council" means the Council appointed by the UGC under clause 4.1 of these regulations;(d)"Articles of Association" means articles of association of a company as defined in Section 2(5) of the Companies Act, 2013(e)"Assessment" means the process involved in ascertaining or verifying the capabilities of an HEI in terms of the academic outcomes, physical infrastructure, human resources (including faculty), administration, course curricula, admission and student evaluation procedures and governance structure prior to the commencement of its academic programmes through objective parameters;(f)"Assessment and Accreditation Agency" means an agency registered under clause 5 of these regulations and includes the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and National Board of Accreditation (NBA);(g)"Certificate of registration" means the certificate of registration of an assessment and accreditation agency granted under Clause 5 of these Regulations;(h)"Code of ethics" includes integrity, objectivity, professional competence, professional conduct, avoidance of conflict of interest, transparency and information disclosure and such other ethical principles as may be specified in these regulations;(i)"Commission" means the University Grants Commission as defined in the University Grants Commission Act 1956;(j)"Distance education systems" means the open and distance education systems as specified by the Commission in the regulations for Open and Distance Education;(k)"Government agency" shall mean any entity or institution which is owned and funded by Central or State Government.(l)"Higher Educational Institution" means an institution of learning including a University, an Institution Deemed to be University, a College, an institution of national importance declared as such by an Act of Parliament, or a constituent unit of such institution, which is imparting (whether through conduct of regular classes or distance education systems) higher education beyond twelve years of schooling leading to the award of a degree or diploma;(m)"Instrument of Trust" means, in case of a Trust, such instrument as defined under section 3 of the Indian Trusts Act, 1882;(n)"Memorandum of Association" means, in case of a company, such memorandum as defined under sub-section (28) of section 2 of the Companies Act, 2013, or in case of a society, such memorandum as specified under section 2 of the Societies Registration Act, 1860;(o)"Programme" means programme of a study leading to the award of a diploma or a degree at graduate and post-graduate level in a Higher Educational Institution;(p)" Semi Government agency" shall mean an entity or institution, formed by a Government agency with majority stake in a partnership with a private entity which has at least five years of experience in accreditation process, with the exclusive purpose of meeting the objectives of these Regulations;(q)"Technical Education Programmes" means programmes of education, research and training in the areas namely engineering and technology, architecture, town planning, management, pharmacy, applied arts and crafts, hotel management and catering technology, computer applications, and such other programmes or areas as the Central Government may, in consultation with the Commission, by notification in the official gazette, declare.(r)"University" means a university established or incorporated by or under a Central Act, a Provincial Act or a State Act, and includes an Institution Deemed to be University;Words and expressions used and not defined in these regulations but defined in the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 and not inconsistent with these regulations shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in that Act.
