Visva-Bharati was awarded a B grade by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and its failure to achieve the desired ‘A’ category led those associated with the varsity to blame the present regime headed by vice-chancellor Bidyut Chakrabarty for the falling academic standards.

The NAAC has uploaded its ranking on its website after their team’s three-day visit to the campus beginning November 26. Though the varsity got a B+ grade, Visva-Bharati’s score this time has dropped to 2.65 points from 2.82 it had achieved in its first assessment in 2015.

Apart from academic issues, the varsity score also suffered because of administrative reasons.

A senior official said the NAAC team had repeatedly questioned varsity officials

for not having a permanent registrar or a finance officer despite Chakrabarty having joined the varsity three years ago.

Officials said lower grades in NAAC means less funding and curtailed freedom to introduce new courses.

The grade would be approved when the NAAC executive council holds its next meeting.

“The grade and score will be approved in the next executive council meeting. There is an option for the varsity to appeal for a review of the score and grade but such changes rarely happen,” said a varsity official.

Responding to the NAAC performance, Somnath Sow, a suspended student of the varsity who took part in most of the protest against Chakrabarty, said: “All through the VC was busy punishing students and the teachers. The VC should take responsibility publicly for the varsity’s poor grade for which the varsity will suffer over the next five years.”

Visva-Bharati's acting public relations officer Atig Ghosh, however, did not respond to queries about the poor NAAC grade.