Biswabrata Goswami
KOLKATA, 13 AUG: West Bengal’s educational institutions have once again proved their mettle in the recently unveiled National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2024 rankings. A total of 268 colleges, 16 universities, and 10 higher education institutions from the state participated in this year’s assessment, with many securing top positions.
Jadavpur University and Calcutta University have been highlighted as standouts, securing positions in the top five of the NIRF’s ranking for state public universities. Jadavpur University achieved an impressive second place, while Calcutta University secured the fourth position, reflecting their consistent performance in higher education. On a national scale, Jadavpur University ranked ninth among all universities, though it slipped from its fourth-place position last year.
Colleges in West Bengal also performed exceptionally well. Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Centenary College in Rahra, North 24 Parganas, was ranked third among colleges in the country, while Kolkata’s prestigious St. Xavier’s College secured the sixth position.
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur maintained its strong reputation by securing the sixth position among the top 10 educational institutions nationwide. Additionally, the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Kolkata ranked fifth in the engineering and management institutes category. The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS) also made a mark, ranking fourth among law universities across the country.
In the category of open universities, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Open University in Calcutta stood out by achieving the second position nationwide, underscoring the state’s excellence in distance education.
The NIRF rankings, released on Monday by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan at a formal event held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, evaluated higher educational institutions across 16 categories, including universities, medical, engineering, management, law, and more. The rankings are available on the official NIRF website, nirfindia.org.
This year marked the ninth edition of the NIRF rankings, which saw the introduction of three new categories: open universities, skill universities, and state-funded government universities. A record 10,885 higher education institutions participated, highlighting the framework’s growing influence.
Significant modifications were made in the evaluation criteria this year. The faculty-to-student ratio was adjusted, with medical institutes requiring a 1:10 ratio, while state government universities saw an increase from 1:15 to 1:20. Institutions were assessed based on five broad parameters: teaching, learning and resources, research and professional practice, graduation outcomes, outreach and inclusivity, and perception.
In a forward-looking announcement, AICTE chairperson Anil Sahasrabudhe revealed plans for the Ministry of Education to introduce ‘sustainability rankings’ next year. This new initiative reflects the growing emphasis on environmental and social sustainability in education, aligning with global trends and the evolving needs of society.
As the NIRF continues to shape the future of higher education in India, institutions in West Bengal have solidified their standing, not only within the state but also on a national scale, fostering a spirit of competition and excellence across the country.
Tags: #NIRF #JadavpurUniversity #CalcuttaUniversity #WestBengal
