Patna: In a significant setback for technical education in Bihar, none of the state’s 38 government engineering colleges have been included in the latest list of institutions accredited by the National Board of Accreditation (NBA). The development raises concerns about the quality benchmarks and global competitiveness of Bihar’s technical institutions.
According to officials from the Department of Science, Technology and Technical Education, the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) recently released the updated list of NBA-accredited institutions across the country. The list features leading engineering colleges recognized for meeting national and international quality standards. However, not a single government engineering college from Bihar has secured accreditation.
Former Vice-Chancellor of Patna University and Nalanda Open University, Dr. (Prof.) R.B. Singh, said the absence of NBA accreditation reflects the widening gap between Bihar’s technical institutions and global academic standards. He pointed out that several engineering colleges from neighboring states such as Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh have been included in the accredited list.
NBA accreditation is considered a mark of quality assurance in higher technical education. It ensures that academic programs meet defined standards of excellence in curriculum design, faculty competence, infrastructure, research output, and student outcomes. Accreditation not only enhances institutional credibility but also provides students with better prospects for higher education and employment.
Experts note that NBA accreditation is particularly significant in the context of global mobility. In nearly two dozen countries that are part of international mutual recognition agreements, only graduates from accredited institutions are eligible for advanced studies and professional opportunities. The absence of accreditation may therefore restrict Bihar students’ access to higher technical education abroad and limit their international career prospects.
Education analysts argue that the situation calls for urgent reforms, including faculty strengthening, infrastructure upgrades, curriculum modernization, and improved industry-academia collaboration. Without such structural improvements, Bihar’s technical institutions risk falling further behind their national counterparts.
The development has triggered renewed debate over the need to enhance quality standards in the state’s higher technical education system to ensure students are not disadvantaged in an increasingly competitive global environment.
