The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, the first Indian institution to make it to the top 10 in a global ranking, has been ranked first in the annual national rankings released by the HRD ministry.
Seven Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have also made it to the list of the top 10 educational institutions released under the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), the other two being Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).
The results of the second edition of the domestic ranking were announced by HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar today. Unlike last year, this time the ranking was released under five categories — overall, colleges, universities, management and engineering. IISc figured at the top in ‘Overall’ and ‘Universities’ categories.
JNU, which was in third position in the last ranking, has been ranked second this year in the ‘Universities’ category. In the ‘Overall’ ranking, the university, which has been at the centre of controversies for over a year, has been placed sixth.
Last month, IISc was ranked eighth in the Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings in the 'best small universities' category, joining the elite list that includes California Institute of Technology (Caltech) from the US, Ecole Normale Superieure from France and Pohang University of Science and Technology, South Korea.
Rating methodology
NIRF outlines a methodology to rank institutions across the country. It draws from the overall recommendations and broad understanding arrived at by a core committee set up by the ministry to identify the broad parameters for ranking various universities and institutions. The parameters broadly cover ‘Teaching, Learning and Resources’, ‘Research and Professional Practices’, ‘Graduation Outcomes’, ‘Outreach and Inclusivity’ and ‘Perception’
IIM-Ahmedabad and IIM-Bangalore have switched positions in the top management institute list. Last year, the Bengaluru institution was placed at the top and IIM-Ahmedabad was second. In third place among B-schools this year is IIM Calcutta, followed in the fourth and fifth slots by the IIMs at Lucknow and Kozhikode.
IIT-Madras continued to be at the top in the engineering institutions category. Six Delhi University colleges have made it to the list of top 10 colleges in the country, with Miranda House being ranked number one. Loyola College (2) in Chennai, Bishop Heber College (4) in Tiruchirapalli, St Xavier’s College (6) in Kolkata and Women’s Christian College (10) in Chennai also featured in the list.
Delhi gang
Besides Miranda House, the other Delhi University colleges in the list are: Shri Ram College of Commerce (3), Atma Ram Sanatan Dharm College (5), Lady Shri Ram College for Women (6), Dyal Singh College (8) and Deen Dayal Upadhyay College (9).
The list is full of surprises with DU’s ARSD College being ranked above the prestigious LSR College for Women and Kolkata’s St Xavier’s College. The list has no mention of prominent DU colleges including St Stephen’s, Ramjas and Hindu College.
Explaining the trend, Javadekar told reporters, “The list has only considered those colleges that had applied for the process. So, even if a college is the most prestigious one and has not participated in it, there will be no suo motu ranking for it.”
“Also, the ranks have been awarded on basis of a detailed analysis of the data submitted by the universities or colleges themselves. For instance, a college may have had good placements but may not have filed a high number of patents. So, all these factors have been kept in mind,” he added.
Other DU colleges that have made it to the top 100 list are: Keshav Mahavidyalya (15), Shaheed Bhagat Singh College (Evening) (34) and SGND Khalsa College (46).
Better funding
These institutions will be provided with more funding, enhanced autonomy and other benefits, Javadekar said. “The educational institutions performing well in the annual ranking will be awarded with more funding or grants, enhanced autonomy and freedom of functioning and various other benefits,” he said.
“Policy regarding the same will be announced soon to encourage the spirit of competition and ultimately enhance the quality of education being imparted by the institutions across the country.”
Courting controversy
The HRD Minister was quick to add that the recognition of varsities such as JNU and Jadavpur University was purely for their research and good work. “JNU and Jadavpur University have not been awarded for their ‘pro-Afzal Guru’ slogans or for keeping their Vice Chancellor under siege but for their academic credentials and excellent research,” he said.
Jadavpur University has been ranked fifth, while Hyderabad University, which was at the fourth position last year, got the seventh rank this time.
Over 3,300 institutes participated in the second edition of the India Rankings