Bhubaneswar: Only 10 of the state’s 17 general public universities have valid accreditation as of Nov 1, according to National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), an autonomous body under the University Grants Commission (UGC).Among the remaining seven, Jagannath Sanskrit University has not renewed its accreditation, while Odia University, Maa Manikeswari University, Vikram Dev University, Rajendra University, Dharanidhar University and MS Law University have never been accredited, with staff crunch and leadership gaps cited as the main reasons.Besides, a large number of colleges also remain outside the NAAC framework, leaving their academic standards without independent assessment.Higher education minister Suryabanshi Suraj had informed the Assembly last year that 477 of the state’s 714 govt and aided degree colleges did not have valid NAAC accreditation.Taking all categories of higher education institutions into account, including public and private general, technical and professional institutions, the UGC puts the total number of accredited institutions in the state at 349.Academicians said a valid accreditation grade also helps institutions meet eligibility requirements for certain research grants, development funds and financial assistance from govt agencies.They attributed the gap partly to the voluntary nature of NAAC accreditation. Moreover, accreditation is generally valid for five years, requiring institutions to undergo reassessment to maintain a valid grade.Apart from the absence of a mandatory requirement, the accreditation process itself demands considerable documentation and institutional preparedness. “Colleges and universities must maintain detailed academic and administrative records, prepare self-study reports and have functional internal quality assurance cells,” said Fakir Mohan University vice-chancellor Santosh Tripathy. This adds to the workload of teaching staff in institutions already grappling with faculty shortages.“While faculty shortages are a major hurdle for newly established universities like Dharanidhar and Vikram Dev seeking accreditation, the absence of regular principals is a key impediment for colleges,” said a senior department official, requesting anonymity.The staffing gaps are substantial. At least 1,435 faculty positions are vacant across the state’s 17 universities, while a majority of the 1,058 degree colleges do not have regular principals. Although universities have been asked by the department to fill vacant faculty positions by the end of this month, the leadership vacuum in colleges remains a separate challenge.In charge and ad hoc principals often lack the motivation or institutional authority to drive the extensive documentation and preparatory work required for NAAC accreditation, academicians said.Tripathy said institutional leadership plays a crucial role in ensuring that colleges pursue accreditation and maintain the required quality systems. “Accreditation is a collective activity and leadership matters,” Tripathy said, adding that he favoured tenure-based appointments for principals as a possible measure to strengthen institutional leadership and encourage colleges to pursue accreditation.