Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) in Higher Education Institutions: Need and Significance

The present paper is an attempt to conceptualize the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) and it need and significance for assessment of quality at higher education institutions. Quality in higher education is an essential issue for universities and colleges. Many institutions were formed in this direction and IQAC is one of these institutions. However, IQAC assesses the quality issues and resolves them internally, from inside the institution. IQAC could be differentiated from its previous institutions because of its wider role, the structure of the cell, a way of working and also by the involvement of stakeholders. It is considered that the formation of the IQAC has improved the quality of higher education. Scholarly community has various opinions regarding the need and significance of IQAC and problems it faces while working. This paper studies the structure and working of IQAC and examines the essentiality and acuteness of it; while also considering various hurdles and criticism it faces. This inquiry comes into the purview of quantitative study as it is primarily based on primary papers related to IQAC and various opinions of scholars regarding its requirement and importance. This brief nature of this inquest gives a simplified understanding of the IQAC cell's structure; working; its necessity and magnitude. This study could further assist in research in the area.