One of the biggest lessons from SAR 2025 is that colleges cannot simply apply for accreditation without redesigning their curriculum.
Before applying for NBA accreditation, institutions must:
✔ Align their curriculum with WKs (Knowledge and Attitude Profiles)
✔ Ensure their courses support Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
✔ Transition to Outcome-Based Education (OBE) and new assessment models
This part of the guide explains why curriculum reform is no longer optional and how institutions must adapt to SAR 2025.
Contents in this Article
Back to The Definitive 9-Part Series on Revised NBA SAR 2025 for Tier-I Engineering Colleges – Click here to access the full guide and explore all sections.
The New Reality: Colleges Must Fix Their Curriculum Before Applying for Revised NBA SAR 2025
The biggest takeaway from the SAR 2025 reforms is this—you cannot apply for NBA with an outdated curriculum.
For years, colleges followed a linear approach—apply for NBA, make last-minute documentation adjustments, and secure accreditation. That won’t work anymore.
With the introduction of WK (Knowledge and Attitude Profiles) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) alignment, NBA is making one thing clear:
✅ Accreditation is no longer just an evaluation of faculty, infrastructure, and student outcomes.
✅ It is a validation of whether your curriculum is truly world-class, industry-aligned, and globally competitive.
Why Colleges Must First Fix Their Curriculum Before Applying?
Your Current Curriculum is Not Mapped to WK
NBA has introduced WK1 to WK9, but most existing engineering curriculums were never designed with these profiles in mind.
Before applying for accreditation, colleges must analyze their curriculum and realign courses to WKs.
SDGs Are Now a Core Component of NBA’s Vision
NBA has introduced sustainable development goals (SDGs) as an explicit criterion.
Engineering courses must now integrate sustainability, green technology, and ethical engineering practices.
If your courses do not include climate impact, energy efficiency, or sustainable manufacturing concepts, you will lose points in NBA accreditation.
Reworking the Curriculum Takes Time
You cannot redesign a curriculum overnight.
Faculty need training on how to integrate WK-based learning into their teaching.
The Board of Studies (BoS) must approve curriculum modifications before implementation.
New courses, case studies, and project-based learning frameworks must be incorporated.
Colleges Must Validate Their Curriculum Before NBA Submission
Once the curriculum is revised, colleges must conduct internal reviews.
Industry experts, alumni, and academic boards should be involved in validating whether the curriculum meets NBA’s expectations.
Only after this step should the institution proceed with preparing for accreditation.
What Colleges Must Do Before Applying for NBA?
✔ Step 1: Conduct a Curriculum Audit
Identify gaps in WK integration and SDG alignment in current courses.
Form an internal academic review committee to assess compliance.
✔ Step 2: Redesign Courses and Teaching-Learning Methods
Modify Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) to explicitly align with WKs.
Introduce real-world sustainability projects and ethical engineering modules.
Shift towards outcome-based assessments rather than just exams.
✔ Step 3: Get Approval from BoS and Academic Council
The revised curriculum must be formally approved by the Board of Studies.
Ensure that changes are documented and communicated to NBA during accreditation.
✔ Step 4: Train Faculty for the New Curriculum
Conduct Faculty Development Programs (FDPs) on WK-based teaching.
Encourage faculty-industry collaboration to ensure practical exposure.
✔ Step 5: Implement and Monitor Changes for One Academic Cycle
Before applying for NBA, test the revised curriculum for at least one year.
Gather student feedback, industry validation, and course assessment data.
✔ Step 6: Now, Begin Your NBA Accreditation Process
Once the curriculum is fully aligned, you can start preparing SAR documentation and evidence collection.
At this stage, the institution is truly ready for NBA—not just on paper but in real implementation.
A Must-Read for Every Faculty Member: "Outcome-Based Education – A Practical Guide for Higher Education Teachers"
Revised NBA SAR 2025 is a game-changer, and if your institution isn’t already deep into Outcome-Based Education (OBE), you’re already behind.
For years, institutions have struggled to understand how to design and implement an outcome-based curriculum, map COs to POs, and assess learning effectively.
That’s exactly why I wrote "Outcome-Based Education – A Practical Guide for Higher Education Teachers 2."
✅ Trusted by 1000+ campuses across India
✅ The most practical resource on OBE implementation
✅ Explains curriculum design, teaching, and assessment strategies in depth
✅ Now more relevant than ever with SAR 2025 reforms
If your institution has not yet purchased this book, I highly recommend doing so now.
This book will help you navigate the new SAR expectations and design a truly outcome-driven learning experience for students.
Don’t just chase accreditation—build real academic excellence.
Make sure your faculty members have the right tools to succeed.
Accreditation is Now a Long-Term Strategy, Not a Short-Term Fix
The old method of preparing for NBA just before submission will no longer work.
Colleges must first upgrade their curriculum, teaching, and assessments to meet SAR 2025 expectations. Only then should they apply for NBA.
If your curriculum is outdated, your accreditation is at risk.
If your curriculum is WK and SDG aligned, your accreditation success is guaranteed.
This is the new direction of NBA accreditation, and only institutions that embrace curriculum transformation will thrive in the future.
Bringing Knowledge and Attitude Profiles (WK) into the Curriculum: The Hidden NBA Expectation
When NBA introduced SAR 2025, it didn’t just restructure criteria—it introduced a fundamental shift in how engineering education should be approached.
One of the most critical yet overlooked aspects of this change is the Knowledge and Attitude Profiles (WK).
These nine profiles are not just learning outcomes; they are NBA’s new benchmark for measuring whether an engineering graduate is truly competent, ethical, and industry-ready.
But here’s the catch—NBA hasn’t explicitly mentioned how it will assess these WKs in SAR 2025. However, institutions that ignore them do so at their own risk.
If your curriculum doesn’t integrate WK-based learning, your students will struggle to meet the new expectations.
Understanding the 9 Knowledge and Attitude Profiles (WKs)
WK1: The Science and Social Awareness Foundation
Graduates must have a theory-based understanding of natural sciences applicable to their discipline, alongside an awareness of relevant social sciences.
How to integrate this?
Ensure basic sciences courses explicitly connect to engineering applications.
Include engineering ethics, social impact assessments, and case studies on technology's role in society.
Encourage faculty to incorporate interdisciplinary perspectives in courses.
WK2: Mathematical and Computational Thinking
Conceptually-based mathematics, numerical analysis, data analysis, statistics, and computational science must be used to support detailed analysis and modelling.
How to integrate this?
All engineering programs must show how mathematical concepts are applied in real-world engineering problems.
Programming, data analytics, and AI-driven problem-solving should be woven into traditional coursework.
Faculty must ensure students don’t just memorize formulas but apply computational methods effectively.
WK3: Engineering Fundamentals and Logical Reasoning
Engineering education must be built on a systematic, theory-based foundation covering the core principles of mechanics, thermodynamics, materials science, electronics, and computing (as applicable to each discipline).
How to integrate this?
Map Program Outcomes (POs) explicitly to fundamental engineering courses.
Move away from rote-based testing and encourage logical problem-solving assessments.
WK4: Specialist Engineering Knowledge
Every engineering discipline has core bodies of knowledge that define its practice areas. This WK ensures students develop deep expertise in their chosen discipline.
How to integrate this?
Ensure students work on capstone projects, research papers, and real-world engineering problems.
Include domain-specific knowledge progression from foundational years to final year specialization.
WK5: Sustainable Engineering and Resource Efficiency
This WK focuses on efficient resource use, environmental impact, life-cycle costs, carbon neutrality, and sustainability in engineering operations.
How to integrate this?
Introduce sustainability modules in core engineering courses.
Ensure design projects incorporate sustainability goals—not as a side topic, but as a core requirement.
WK6: Practical Engineering and Technological Adaptability
Students must be hands-on with technology, not just theoretical learners. This WK pushes for strong industry exposure and applied learning.
How to integrate this?
Laboratories should focus on project-based learning rather than just structured experiments.
Internships must involve practical problem-solving instead of passive shadowing experiences.
Faculty must integrate real-world engineering problems into assessments and coursework.
WK7: The Role of Engineering in Society
Engineering is not just about technology—it’s about impact. Students must understand the social, ethical, and professional responsibilities of engineers.
How to integrate this?
Introduce case studies on engineering disasters and ethical dilemmas.
Mandate industry lectures from practicing engineers on real-world decision-making challenges.
Encourage student involvement in socially responsible engineering projects.
WK8: Research and Critical Thinking
Graduates must engage with current research literature, think critically, and evaluate emerging issues in engineering.
How to integrate this?
Faculty should introduce research-based learning, even at the undergraduate level.
Encourage technical paper writing, patent drafting, and innovation-driven coursework.
Expose students to state-of-the-art developments in their fields.
WK9: Ethics, Inclusion, and Professional Behaviour
This WK introduces a non-negotiable requirement—students must be aware of professional ethics, diversity, inclusion, and respectful conduct.
How to integrate this?
Make ethics and inclusivity training a core part of student development.
Ensure industry projects involve considerations for accessibility and social impact.
Promote collaborative, multi-disciplinary team-based learning environments.
Back to The Definitive 9-Part Series on Revised NBA SAR 2025 for Tier-I Engineering Colleges – Click here to access the full guide and explore all sections.
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