Indian institutions are increasingly seeing international rankings as a benefit, according to Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), which has just published the Asian Universities Ranking for 2014. There are 17 Indian universities in the list this year compared with 11 last year.
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| Source: QS website. |
The latest table shows a marginal decline in the positions occupied by most of the country’s leading institutions. But an increase of more than 50% in India’s overall representation offers hopeful signs for the future.
As in the previous editions of the ranking, the Indian Institutes of Technology lead the way. IIT Delhi holds on to 38th place, pulling clear of IIT Bombay in 41st. Five other IITs feature in the top 100, led by Kanpur and Madras just outside the top 50.
In the latest Asian ranking, Banaras Hindu University, Panjab, Manipal and Amity universities, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, and the Indian Institute of Information Technology all appear for the first time. With seven IITs among the leading eight institutions, the top levels of Indian higher education remain much stronger in science and technology than in the arts and social sciences.
“The IITs have a great reputation among graduate employers, and now produce a relatively high volume of research, but it is not yet having a significant impact in terms of citations,” says QS Head of research Ben Sowter.
“India’s improved strength in depth is a sign of progress, but there is a long way to go before the IITs can compete with the very best institutions in Asia. India’s tally of two institutions in the top 50 places it behind Japan (no. 13), China (no. 9), South Korea (no. 9), Hong Kong (no. 6) and Taiwan (no. 6), and level with Singapore and Thailand.”
Amongst traditional universities, University of Delhi takes the lead at 81, having slipped one place since last year. It is ranked in the top 25 in Asia by employers and the top 40 by academics, but is handicapped in some other indicators by its large size and low levels of international faculty and student exchange. Only the University of Calcutta ranks highly on students’ exchanges, coming second in Asia for outbound exchanges and 52nd for inbound.
Top 10 Indian universities in the QS University Rankings: Asia 2014
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2014
rank
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2013
rank
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Name
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38
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38
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INDIAN INSTITUTE OF
TECHNOLOGY DELHI (IITD)
|
|
41
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39
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INDIAN INSTITUTE OF
TECHNOLOGY BOMBAY (IITB)
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52
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51
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INDIAN INSTITUTE OF
TECHNOLOGY KANPUR (IITK)
|
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53
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49
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INDIAN INSTITUTE OF
TECHNOLOGY MADRAS (IITM)
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60
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58
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INDIAN INSTITUTE OF
TECHNOLOGY KHARAGPUR (IITKGP)
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70
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66
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INDIAN INSTITUTE OF
TECHNOLOGY ROORKEE (IITR)
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81
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80
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UNIVERSITY OF DELHI
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|
95
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89
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INDIAN INSTITUTE OF
TECHNOLOGY GUWAHATI (IITG)
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131
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143
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UNIVERSITY OF
CALCUTTA
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131
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140
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UNIVERSITY OF MUMBAI
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© QS Quacquarelli Symonds 2004-2014
To view all the 17 Indian universities in the rankings: www.TopUniversities.com
At the ICAA Rankings & Excellence Dialogue, MHRD Secretary Ashok Thakur said that India must create 40 million university places to meet demand. “We can’t afford to miss out on India’s demographic dividend,” he said. “But it’s not just about numbers, it’s about quality.”
Thakur has said that Indian institutions must no longer hide behind the “excuse” that the global ranking metrics and indicators are not suited to them. “We must play the same game that the rest of the world is playing,” he said.
The Indian Centre for Assessment and Accreditation (ICAA), which is hosting the launch of the QS University Rankings: Asia in New Delhi, has partnered with KPMG in India to help Indian universities understand ranking methodologies and present their data effectively.
“The quality of Indian universities - particularly the top 20% - is underestimated by international rankings for very many reasons,” Mohandas Pai, Chairman, ICAA says. “Sadly, Indian universities do not seem to consider international rankings important and many do not even attempt to consolidate and share in the public domain full and up-to-date information about their performance or their functioning. The availability of information is therefore a challenge for a ranking organisation.”
"The single most imperative goal
ICAA aims to achieve by 2025 is to witness the entry of at least five of
our elite universities in the Top 200 World University Rankings," said A
Jeyaprakash, Vice Chairman, ICAA.
Narayanan Ramaswamy, Partner and Head - Education, KPMG in India adds: "India is known the world over for its academic prowess but need of the hour is to reflect this notion into global rankings. Indians graduating from premier universities in India have made their mark all around the globe.
"These leading universities need to project themselves as world-class institutions. That calls for rapid innovation, with universities cooperating and actively networking with their peers and competitors. Rankings can create more awareness among the Indian universities on what they need to focus on to improve their performance and gain a greater international standing.”
Dr Karthick Sridhar, ICAA’s Vice-Chairman, said: “India is expected to be a US$10 trillion economy by 2030, from the present US$2 trillion. It will also be the most populous nation with over 130 million people in the college-going age bracket, so we need different higher educational institutions to cater to the varying needs of industry and personal aspirations.
"We need to define the goal of each institution and measure outcomes and impact based on the goal. It is necessary that the better ones focus more on research, attract global talent and aspire for higher rankings and continue to shine a light of excellence on the global scale. Proactive participation in global rankings is therefore a necessity.”
