A historic milestone has been achieved as 91 Indian universities secured positions in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, marking a substantial increase from the previous year’s count of 75. Notably, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore made a triumphant return to the global top 250, a feat not accomplished since 2017. Despite the continued boycott by the top Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) for the fourth consecutive year, India now stands as the fourth best-represented nation in the 2024 rankings, up from its sixth position last year.
According to the latest rankings released by THE magazine, India’s second-best performing universities are Anna University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Mahatma Gandhi University, Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences, all falling within the 501-600 band. Additionally, two IITs, namely the Indian Institute of Technology in Guwahati and the Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines) in Dhanbad, climbed two bands to join the world’s top 800 universities, progressing from the 1001-1200 to the 601-800 band.
Several other Indian institutions also made significant strides upward, with Anna University in Chennai advancing from the 801-1000 band to the 501-600 band, and Aligarh Muslim University moving from the 801-1000 band to the 601-800 band. Notably, the Bharathiar University in Coimbatore ascended from the 801-1000 band to the 601-800 band, while the Malaviya National Institute of Technology in Jaipur secured its first-ever ranking, entering the 601-800 band.
The decision by seven IITs, including Bombay, Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Madras, and Roorkee, to abstain from THE World University Rankings in 2020 raised concerns about transparency and standards. However, IIT Guwahati re-entered the rankings the following year. In its 20th year, the rankings evaluated 1,904 universities from 108 countries and regions, an increase from the 1,799 institutions assessed the previous year. These rankings assessed universities across 18 indicators, encompassing their core missions of teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and internationalization, categorized into five pillars, including teaching, research quality, research environment, international outlook, and industry. Four of the five new metrics focused on research quality and patent examination.
THE’s Chief Global Affairs Officer, Phil Baty, noted, “India has well and truly embraced the international agenda, and international competition, with an unprecedented 91 universities making it into the rigorous and demanding Times Higher Education World University Rankings this year, making India now the fourth best-represented nation in the rankings.” He also acknowledged the methodological changes affecting some Indian institutions but emphasized the overall positive trend, including IISc’s ascent into the top 250.
On the global stage, the University of Oxford in the UK secured the top rank, followed by Stanford University, the highest-ranked institution in the United States, at second place, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) at third place.
Furthermore, a total of 165 universities achieved their first-ever rankings, with 89 of them hailing from Asia, including a new entrant from mainland China. Notably, mainland China boasts the best-ranked universities in Asia, with a record-breaking 33 Asian universities now positioned within the top 200, signaling significant growth driven by China and Japan. China’s count increased from 11 to 13, while Japan’s rose from 2 to 5, contributing to this remarkable advancement.
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