SIGNIFICANCE OF GREEN AUDIT AND GREEN CAMPUS FOR OBTAINING THE NAAC ACCREDITATION

Green campus is not only the must requirement for the educational institution on ground reality but it is also mandatory according to the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) guidelines. The requirement and modes of the green campus can be fulfilled by the green audit. Green Audit is a comprehensive tool for evaluating the environmental performance of the organizations, including its impact on natural resources, waste generation, and energy use which helps to identify and assess the impact of its operations on the environment. In the higher education domain, Green Audit has gained significant importance, especially during the NAAC grade inspection. The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) is a body that assesses the quality of higher education institutions in India and with the increasing concern for environmental protection, institutions are now required to conduct green audits to assess their environmental impact.The present study uses a descriptive research design to examine the relationship between green auditing and NAAC grade inspection. The data was collected from various sources, including published literature, case studies and surveys. The findings of the study reveal that green audit plays a vital role in obtaining higher grade in NAAC inspection. The paper presents a detailed analysis of the NAAC grading system, the importance of green audits, the green audit process in higher education institutions, the benefits of implementing sustainable practices in higher education institutions. The paper also presents case studies of institutions that have successfully obtained higher NAAC grades through the implementation of green audit practices.