On 11th June, Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) released rankings of top higher educational institutions in India assessed in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF). The NIRF was launched in 2015 with the main objective of assessing the ranks of educational institutions of India. Rankings of 2020 were categorized into different categories depending on the various disciplines taught and type of higher educational institution. The participating educational institutions were divided into various categories viz. engineering, management, universities list, colleges list, pharmacy, medical, law, architecture, dental and overall list. It is quite heartening that the University of Kashmir and University of Jammu have once again figured among top 100 universities in India under the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF-2020) and also Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU) is placed at 78th rank among all the engineering institutes of the country. The University of Kashmir has figured at rank 48, thus ranking among the top 50 universities of India with the point Score of 46.99 in the ranking system which is really a good news for all its stakeholders. University of Jammu stands at 52 with the total point score of 46.55. This achievement by University of Kashmir is really significant despite the obstacles faced by our institutions of higher learning due to various unfavorable conditions. I have had the opportunity to visit the top Universities of India for my research/teaching purpose and the feedback which I received from the scholars/students/faculty enrolled/working there was really encouraging. I came to know that the research activities start beyond 4 p.m. there and that is totally opposite here in our state. So keeping this into consideration, being among the top 50 Universities despite the conditions prevailing here, it is really a big achievement for University of Kashmir. The University of Kashmir since the inception of NIRF rankings has improved its performance on the basis of parameters laid down in NIRF framework. It is clear with the ranking of University of Kashmir in different years since 2017 to present. In 2017, the university stood at 73rd rank in India among top universities, 47th in 2018, 53rd in 2019 and at present it is placed at 48th rank among the universities in India.
The different parameters on which University of Kashmir, University of Jammu, SMVDU were assessed included Teaching, Learning & Resources (TLR); Research and Professional Practice (RP); Graduation Outcomes (GO); Outreach and Inclusivity (OI) and Perception (PR).
In 2020, IISc Bangalore has once again topped in the universities list with the points in different parameters as:
Score of IISc Bangalore (2020)
| TLR (100) | RPC (100) | GO (100) | OI (100) | PERCEPTION (100) |
| 82.22 | 92.16 | 82.89 | 52.84 | 100.00 |
On the other hand while comparing University of Kashmir with IISc Bangalore, the result of NIRF rankings 2020 shows that University of Kashmir has come closer in Outreach & Inclusivity parameter with the difference of only 3.37 points.
Score of University of Kashmir (2020)
| TLR (100) | RPC (100) | GO (100) | OI (100) | PERCEPTION (100) |
| 60.25 | 18.51 | 79.14 | 49.47 | 25.82 |
Further, comparing the score of University of Kashmir which they got in NIRF rankings during 2019 and now in 2020, the score has increased by 0.43 in Teaching, Learning & Resources (TLR), 0.18 in Research and Professional Practice (RPP), 2.11 in Outreach and Inclusivity (OI) but the score in Graduation Outcomes (GO) has decreased from 79.20 to 79.14 which can be looked into by the authorities. The point of attraction lies in the Perception parameter where University of Kashmir was always lagging behind since NIRF rankings was launched. There is a drastic increase in the perception score from 1.63 (2019) to 25.82 (2020) with the increase of 24.19 points. Similarly, Jammu University has also improved in terms of NIRF parameters compared to 2019 rankings of NIRF with the increase of 8.28 points in Teaching, Learning & Resources (TLR), 1.61 in Graduation Outcomes, 4.11 in Outreach & Inclusivity but there is decrease in Research & Professional Practice by 0.18 points over the previous year i.e. 2019. Here also, the centre of attraction lies in the Perception parameter where University of Jammu was lagging behind since NIRF rankings was launched. There is a drastic increase here also in the perception score from 2.02 (2019) to 31.47 (2020) with the increase of 29.45 points.
Another positive point that has yielded from the rankings is the performance of University of Kashmir in Teaching, Learning & Resources (TLR) parameter. The TLR score of University of Kashmir (60.25) is more than Jadavpur University which has been ranked 5th in the list with the TLR score of 53.38, Calcutta University (59.26) ranked at 7th, Delhi University (50.18) ranked at 11th, Anna University (56.00) ranked at 12th, Vellore Institute of Technology (48.71) ranked at 16th, Institute of Chemical Technology (51.99) ranked at 18th, Panjab University (50.08) ranked at 26th , Osmania University (55.95) ranked at 29th in NIRF rankings of 2020 to name a few. In the research parameter, University of Kashmir is also ahead of Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS) by leading with a score of 7.11 points. The Outreach and Inclusivity (OI) score of University of Kashmir is also ahead of Jadavpur University ranked 5th, Homi Bhabha National Institute ranked 14th, Institute of Chemical Technology ranked at 18th as per NIRF rankings of 2020. In addition to this, University of Kashmir is also having more score in perception parameter than Jamia Hamdard University.
University of Kashmir has a good position in NIRF ranking which is the merit of the administration of the institution and of the staff and students. The presence in one global ranking on a visible good position is a good result and can be a good conveyor of image. It can contribute seriously to the reputation of the university. The university has to take this opportunity seriously. Rankings do show where the university is, in comparison to others, but do not show how they can reach certain higher positions in the league tables. However, it should be careful with what real quality means: it means good professors, good students, good research, good teaching and research equipment, good administrative staff, a general climate of stimulation for development and innovation. The university is developing in accordance with international trends among universities worldwide. Higher education, especially at the university level is of paramount importance for J&Ks future. J&K requires both highly trained people and top-quality research in order to be able to formulate the policies, plan the programmes and implement the projects that are essential to economic growth and development of the state. Preparing individuals for positions of responsibility in government, business, and in professions is a central role of the universities and supporting these individuals in their work with research, advice and consultancy is another equally important role.
Further improvement in rankings can be achieved through a variety of measures. Urgent attention should be paid to the establishment and gradual implementation of standards of provision for the full range of inputs to teaching and research. The provision of libraries with the necessary print and non-print resources should be the highest priority, closely followed by supplying laboratories and workshops with consumables and materials needed for equipment maintenance and repair. If the Universities of J&K have to sustain their rankings certain measures are to be taken like: stop unplanned expansion of higher education, comprehensive education policy is to be laid down, curriculum to be revised, develop inspiring and motivating classroom interactions, apply new changes and innovations, students have to be motivated and teachers to be dedicated, crazy rush for degrees should be stopped. In addition to this, the cream of the student community attracted by the foreign countries should be stopped. These students should be provided good incentives in their own land, develop professionalism, not establish colleges and Universities for vote bank and for other non-academic reasons such as caste, community or political patronage, providing facilities to physically handicapped students whether in laboratories, libraries etc. Student exchange programmes with world leading universities should be initiated. If all the above parameters are taken care of, the day is not far when J&K’s higher educational institutions will be figuring in the top 100 of different world university rankings.
Dr. Mubashir Majid Baba teaches at Department of Management Studies, North Campus, University of Kashmir, Srinagar