Comparative Study of Outcome Based Accreditation: NBA 2016 vs. 2024 Program Outcomes for UG Engineering Programs

In India, the National Board of Accreditation (NBA), introduced the self-assessment report (SAR) 2024, replacing the SAR 2016 version in its commitment to enhance the engineering education quality. In this paper we conducted a comparative study of Program Outcomes (POs) in SAR 2016 version and SAR 2014 version. We examined the POs alignment with K-levels of revised bloom's taxonomy (RBT) and the knowledge and attitude profiles (WK). We conducted the study in 2 phases. In phase one, we compared and highlighted the key changes in the POs of 2016 and 2014 versions and in Phase 2 our focus was on mapping the revised POs in 2024 version with the WK profiles to examine the integration of theoretical, practical, ethical and societal knowledge. The findings of the research shows that advance themes like sustainability, inclusivity and adaptability are incorporated in SAR 2024 version. The changes in POs reflect the broader societal and environmental impacts. As the PO "environmental and sustainability" removed in 2024 version, it raises questions about centralised focus on these issues. The study shows the effective incorporation of WK profiles in new version of POs which suggest a vigorous framework for modern engineering education. There is requirement for further evaluation to ensure that the component of environment and sustainability are covered in the new framework.