Founded in 2011 and affiliated with the University of Kashmir in 2102 as a first Model College in rural area of district Budgam, Model Government Degree College (MGDC) Charar-i-sharief with an age of little over 10 years has proved excellent in terms of academics and socio-environmental consciousness. The College started and continued its work for five years in a make-shift building provided by Higher Secondary School Charar-i-sharief. In the year 2017 the college shifted to its main campus located in the beautiful Karewas land of Zaloosa Village of Charar-i-sharief town. The college is built on a clean-green campus having academic and administrative buildings with state-of-the art facilities for all the stakeholders. The college is on a path of modern development and in another five to ten years it will compete with the best of the colleges of the country.The college is a coeducational institute with 18 academic departments that offer undergraduate programmes to student community belonging to remote areas of the Charar-i-sharief town.

In comparison to other Government Degree Colleges of the UT of J&K of the same age and above, MGDC-Charar-i-sharief has become a leading institute and has emerged as a shining star in the galaxy of higher education sphere of the country. At the age of 10 years this is the only college in J&K that has been assessed and accredited by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) India. MGDC-Charar-i-sharief recently a week ago was assessed and accredited by NAAC and was awarded Grade-B with CGPA score of 2.38, a big achievement that speaks volumes about the quality of the academics and administrative affairs of the College.

It is pertinent to mention here that NAAC assessment of higher educational institutions in India is a rigorous exercise that includes quantitative and qualitative assessment of the institution. With several pre-determined criteria ranging from academics, examinations, collaborations, outreach programmes, research, development, governance and best practices that unfold into more than hundreds of parameters and sub-parameters of quantitative and qualitative nature. NAAC assessment is a big task for an educational institution to coordinate and manage. Any higher educational institution of college level that faces NAAC assessment require a pool of talented and dedicated staff of teaching, non-teaching and supporting not less than fifty in number to coordinate and manage the entire process.

Given the above context, MGDC-Charar-i-sharief has meticulously managed the whole process and sailed through the NAAC assessment smoothly. It is worth to mention that a team of only 23 people that included teaching, non-teaching and supporting staff was behind this marvelous achievement. This explains the amount of qualitative work, coordination between the students, staff and governing body of the college that was displayed during the entire NAAC assessment process. 

(Author is Teacher and Researcher. Email at: ashrafzainabi86@gmail.com)