Two days after the car blast near Delhi’s Red Fort, the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) issued a show-cause notice to Al-Falah University in Faridabad for displaying “misleading” accreditation details on its website.
The move comes as the university faces scrutiny after three staff members from its School of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, identified as Umar Un Nabi, Muzammil Shakeel, and Shaheen Saeed, were linked to the blast that occurred Monday evening, killing at least 12 people.
According to NAAC, the university’s website falsely claimed that two of its institutions, the School of Engineering & Technology and the School of Education and Training, were accredited by the council. Officials clarified that while both schools were accredited earlier, their validity had expired years ago, as NAAC accreditation is valid for only five years. The university itself was never accredited.
UGC Seeks Report From Al-Falah University
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has also sought a report from Al-Falah University on the “recent incident,” asking for details of the steps taken by the institution and a comprehensive explanation, senior government officials told ThePrint.
In its notice, NAAC director Ganesan Kannabiran stated that Al-Falah’s School of Engineering & Technology was accredited between March 2013 and March 2018, and the Department of Teacher Education from 2011 to 2016, both with Grade ‘A’. However, neither has applied for the second cycle of accreditation.
The notice said the university’s claim of ongoing accreditation was “absolutely wrong and misleading to the public, especially parents, students, and stakeholders.” The council’s Executive Committee has therefore issued a show-cause notice demanding an explanation.
NAAC has also asked the university to justify why “appropriate or legal action” should not be taken and why it should not be barred from future accreditation processes. The council has further warned that it may recommend to the UGC the withdrawal of Al-Falah University’s recognition under Sections 2(f) and 12B of the UGC Act, and advise the National Medical Commission (NMC) to revoke recognition of its medical school.