Employability Skills to be Key Parameters in Rankings – Dharmendra Pradhan

In his address, Shri Pradhan highlighted that rankings, ratings, and accreditation are crucial components of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Union Minister for Education Shri Dharmendra Pradhan has officially released the India Rankings 2024, which are based on the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) introduced by the Ministry of Education in 2015. The release event was attended by key education figures, including Secretary of Higher Education Shri K. Sanjay Murthy and UGC Chairman Prof. M. Jagadesh Kumar.

In his address, Shri Pradhan highlighted that rankings, ratings, and accreditation are crucial components of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. He congratulated institutions that excelled in teaching, research, and innovation, and stressed that it is crucial for all 58,000 higher education institutions (HEIs) in India to be included in the ranking framework. He emphasized the need to incorporate employability and skilling as parameters in the rankings and called for the inclusion of intangible aspects of education.

Dr. Sukanta Majumdar expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the NEP 2020, which fosters inclusivity and innovation in academic institutions. He noted that the NIRF rankings promote healthy competition among institutions, enhancing overall standards.

Shri K. Sanjay Murthy spoke about various workshops organized to improve rankings and emphasized the importance of collaboration among Indian and international academic institutions.

The 2024 edition of the India Rankings, now in its 9th year, introduces three new categories: State Public Universities, Open Universities, and Skill Universities, and integrates an "Innovation" ranking. The total number of ranked categories has increased to 16, including new categories and subject domains.

Key Highlights:

Indian Institute of Technology Madras retains the top position in the Overall and Engineering categories.

Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru leads the Universities and Research Institutions categories.

IIM Ahmedabad remains the top institution in Management.

AIIMS, New Delhi continues to lead in Medical.

Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi tops the Pharmacy ranking.

Hindu College claims the top spot in Colleges.

IIT Roorkee excels in Architecture and Planning.

National Law School of India University, Bengaluru remains at the top in Law.

The Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai leads in Dental.

Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi ranks highest in Agriculture and Allied Sectors.

Anna University, Chennai tops the new State Public Universities category.

Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), New Delhi leads the Open Universities category.

IIT Kanpur is the top institution in the Innovation category.

Symbiosis Skill and Professional University (SSPU), Pune tops the Skill Universities category.

The increase in participation and the addition of new categories reflect the growing recognition and transparency of the NIRF rankings among higher education institutions in India.