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Part 4: Revised NBA SAR 2025 - Pre-Qualifier Requirements for Tier-I Engineering Institutes

Updated: Mar 23

If you’ve read Part 1, you already know NBA SAR 2025 is a game-changer.


If you’ve gone through Part 2, you’re aware of the major shifts from SAR 2015.


And in Part 3, we discussed why curriculum redesign is non-negotiable before applying.


Now in Part 4, we’ll get into the reality check.


Before you even touch the SAR, you need to qualify for it.


That’s where the Pre-Qualifier comes in.


This is the first major gate.


If you don’t pass this, your application won’t even be accepted.


No matter how good your labs are.


No matter how great your placements look.


NBA won’t even come to visit.


Let’s make sure you don’t get stuck at the gate.

Part 4: Revised NBA SAR 2025 - Pre-Qualifier Requirements for Tier-I Engineering Institutes
Part 4: Revised NBA SAR 2025 - Pre-Qualifier Requirements for Tier-I Engineering Institutes

 

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.  


What to Expect in This Part


✔ A detailed look at the Pre-Qualifier criteria for Tier-I Engineering Programs

✔ Practical insights on how to qualify

✔ Criteria Wise Explanation

✔ Documents, deadlines, and ground realities you need to prepare for

✔ Common mistakes colleges make—and how to avoid them


 

Understanding the Pre-Qualifier as Revised NBA SAR 2025: The First Filter for Accreditation


1. AICTE Approval for Past 5 Years


What it means: Your program must have valid AICTE approval for the last five years, starting from the current academic year.


What NBA actually checks (not just online uploads):

  • Whether your land, buildings, labs, books, and faculty match AICTE norms

  • Whether you have filed the right Annexures that back up your AICTE approval


Recommended before applying, please ensure the Complaicne with AICTE. Refer AICTE Annexures as Follows:

a. Annexure 2: Existing institution documents


b. Annexure 3: Land and built-up area compliance.


c. Annexure 4: Library norms



d. Annexure 5: Faculty requirements per AICTE



Pro tip: Ensure physical compliance too. NBA visits are not virtual.



2. Student-Faculty Ratio ≤ 25:1 (CAY, CAYm1, CAYm2)


What it means: The SFR must not exceed 25 students per faculty, averaged over three years.


Key compliance points:

  • Faculty must be appointed before 30th August and be active till 30th April

  • They must have worked for two consecutive semesters

  • SNQ, EWS quota students are excluded from the count

  • Consolidated salary or hourly-based faculty won’t be counted

  • Faculty without teaching/practical load won’t be counted

  • Principal/Dean can be counted only if they have academic load


Documentation:

  • Appointment letters

  • Salary slips as per AICTE pay structure

  • Workload distribution

  • Academic calendars

 


3. Professor/Associate Professor with PhD in Dept. and Allied Departments


What it means: Depending on the number of programs and allied departments, your department must have:


  • At least 1 Professor or 1 Associate Professor with Ph.D. in CAY & CAYm1

  • And N such faculty for N additional UG programs (if applicable)


Compliance must-haves:

a. Designation should be frozen before 30th August

b. For allied or Sub departments < 3 years old, Professor/Associate Professor faculty counts can be excluded

c. Otherwise, Associate Professor/Professor count will apply for allied units too


Tip: Ensure your faculty designations are regularised and documented properly.

 


4. Minimum 10% PhD Faculty in Dept. & Allied Departments

What it means: At least 10% of required faculty must have a Ph.D. (averaged over CAY and CAYm1)


Only counted if:

a. Ph.D. awarded on or before 30th August of that year

b. Ph.D. from UGC-approved university with certificate in hand

c. Faculty must have assigned teaching load as per norms

d. Defended theses or provisional certificates do not count


Reminder: Document everything—certificates, UGC approval letters, appointment records. If you need personnel NBA approved File Format, please send a request to mail@deepeshdivakaran.com. I will send across the format.


 

5. Two Batches Passed Out


Your program must have two batches graduated at the time of applying.


This ensures the institution has maturity and data for outcome assessment.

 

A Note on Teaching Hours (SFR, Cadre, PhD Calculations)


Teaching load is more than classroom hours. It includes:

  • Project guidance

  • Labs, tutorials

  • Research, admin, innovation tasks


AICTE Load Norms:

  • 16 hours/week for Professors

  • 18 hours/week for Associate Professors

  • 20 hours/week for Assistant Professors


NOTE: HODs, Deans get a 2-hour relaxation.


Ensure you are maintaining:

  • Workload allocation records

  • Time tables with proof of lab/tutorial/practical load

  • Faculty contribution sheets


 

Faculty Digital Empowerment & Infrastructure Readiness


What it means: NBA is not only evaluating your faculty strength on paper—but also how empowered and enabled your faculty really are.


Mandatory expectation:


All faculty members must be provided with:

  • A desktop computer or laptop

  • Internet connectivity at their office

  • Adequate printing facility

  • Basic office furniture and workspace



Recommended practices (especially for Tier-I institutions):

a. Cubicles for Assistant Professors to support focused work and academic preparation

b. Cabins for Associate Professors, Professors, and HoDs for academic and administrative work

c. Faculty workspace must encourage digital engagement, research, online learning and innovation


This is not just about comfort—it's about academic productivity.


Digitally disempowered faculty = Low research, poor outcomes, weak NBA scores.


If you miss any of the above, your SAR won’t even be evaluated.


So before applying, do a full internal audit using this guide.

 

To know more about the detailed changes introduced in the Revised NBA SAR 2025,👉 refer to Part 2 of this series: Revised NBA SAR 2025: Key Changes and Their Impact on Tier-I Institutes.


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.



Buy my book on 'Outcome Based Education (OBE)'
Buy my book on 'Outcome Based Education (OBE)'

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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