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Lesser-known universities find place in QS India rankings

Hindustan Times | By
Nov 15, 2018 09:47 PM IST

Separate rankings for Indian institutes mean you now have more options to choose from and institutes get a larger platform too.

For the first time, global higher-education think-tank Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) has released separate rankings for Indian universities. Released last month, the rankings aim to offer a detailed analysis of the relative performance of Indian universities, within an Indian context.

“India is a rapidly expanding higher-education market. It is also a different ecosystem, so we wanted to highlight the performance of universities in this country of approximately 600 million people under the age of 25,” says Jack Moran, higher education trends analyst at QS.

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The parameters used for this ranking are similar to those used for ranking universities in BRICS [Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa] nations. It has parameters like number of international students, staff with a PhD and Employer reputation which are not considered or given a lot of weightage in world rankings.

“The list features universities that you will not easily spot in the international rankings. This will give students more options to choose from,” says Moran.

The India rankings show that universities here have good standing with employers, Moran adds, but need to foster better associations with global institutes.

While the IITs predictably top the list (IIT-Bombay is #1; IIT-Madras #3; IISc-Bangalore #2), universities in prominent positions also include the Hyderabad University (#7), Alagappa University in Tamil Nadu (#20) and Savitribai Phule Pune University (#19). The Institute of Chemical Technology-Mumbai is ranked one for research impact.

“The rankings could help bring lesser-known Indian universities onto the world stage and eventually perhaps even into the world rankings,” says Ashok Wadia, principal of Mumbai’s Jai Hind College and a peer team member and assessor at the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), which is an autonomous organisation that assesses and accredits higher education Institutions in India.

The QS rankings are also reflecting change on the ground, particularly since the rolling out of the central governments higher-education mission, the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan or Rusa, in 2013.

Grants from the government are helping universities, especially those in non-metro areas develop and perform better in NAAC accreditation and international rankings. “Under the scheme, funds are being granted to the best universities, and also to the ones that have not been able to perform well in the NAAC accreditation cycles, but have a clear plan for how they plan to do better,” says Hemlata Bagla, principal at KC College, Churchgate. “These funds are helping universities develop curricula, facilitate research and improve faculty, thus boosting overall performance.”

On the list

Bagla says the national rankings also show how India’s universities are striving to fit better into the global education scenario. “We see a lot of potential in the University of Hyderabad, for instance. It recently launched an integrated Masters programme across streams,” says Moran. “You enroll straight after Class 12, get a Masters degree after five years; it’s effective and well-designed.”

Kavayitri Bahinabai Chaudhari North Maharashtra University, Jalgaon, is ranked between 57 and 60 (it’s put in this rankings group, some universities are put in groups) in the rankings. “We have world-class instruments such as a field emission scanning electron microscope in our research labs. We keep upgrading our science labs and recruiting teachers who are PhDs,” says vice-chancellor PP Patil. “While we may not be recognised in world rankings, being put high in the India rankings can help us get better students, motivate us to perform better in international rankings.”

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