Why in News?
The performance of Indian institutes in the QS University World Ranking System, released recently, shows that their initiatives to upgrade the research ecosystem are yielding results.
- It is a widely recognized system that assesses and ranks universities globally.
- Compiled by - QS Quacquarelli Symonds, a higher education analytics firm, annually.
- Launched in – 2004.
- It helps students make informed decisions about their education.
- Indicators
- Academic reputation - 40% weightage
- Employer reputation- 10% weightage
- Faculty/student ratio - 20% weightage
- Citations per faculty - 20% weightage and
- International faculty/student ratios - 10% weightage
- On popular demand from students, 3 new metrics have recently been added in listing universities around the world - International Research Network, Sustainability and Employment Outcomes.
Rankings of India’s Universities
- 9 institutes in the country figure in the top 50.
- 79 Indian universities have made it to the list, up from 69 last year.
- Indian universities are particularly well represented in
- Engineering (24 institutes),
- Social sciences (20 institutes) and
- Natural sciences (19 institutes).
- Faculty Inadequacy - The best Indian universities, in contrast, score between 10 and 20.
- Attracting an adequate number of qualified faculty and providing them with favorable working conditions has been a longstanding problem.
- In 2023, a CAG audit found that though the IITs have been recruiting faculty consistently, the pace of recruitment did not match student enrolment.
- Global Collaborations in need - The QS survey suggests that Indian universities could benefit from global collaborations to access a wider range of academic debates and discoveries.
- The National Education Policy too rightly emphasizes the role of cross-border collaborations.
- The government has also invited universities outside the country to set up campuses in India.
- In 2023, IIT-Madras set up a wing in Zanzibar, Tanzania.
- Liberalize the student exchange rules between Indian and foreign universities as well as build linkages with industry.
Reference
Indian Express - QS rankings
