Indian Institute of Technology, Madras is the best education institution in the country for the sixth time since 2019, according to the overall ranking based on parameters identified and defined in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF).
In the 2024 rankings, released here by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday, IIT Madras also retained first position in engineering for the ninth year since 2016. Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru is the top institution under both the universities and research categories, retaining both positions since 2016 and 2021 respectively.
The ranks were given in 16 categories this year, three more than last year. Open universities, skill universities and State public universities are the three new categories. Mr. Pradhan said the Ministry is considering “sustainability” as a criteria, probably from next year.
IIM Ahmedabad continued to be the top management institute for the fifth consecutive year since 2020. All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi is the best place to study medical sciences, in the top spot for the seventh consecutive year. Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi is the best college for pharmacy while Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai is the best college to pursue dental science. IIT, Bombay is the best ‘innovational institution’ followed by IIT Madras and IIT Delhi.
In engineering, IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay follow IIT Madras and in management, IIM Bangalore and IIM Kozhikode come after IIM Ahmedabad.
Colleges from New Delhi remained at the top in the colleges category with Hindu College and Miranda House being the top two. IIT Roorkee retained its first position in architecture and planning for the fourth consecutive year. National Law School of India University, Bengaluru was named the best law school, the seventh year in a row.
Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi is the best institution to study agriculture and allied sectors, according to the rankings. Anna University, Chennai tops the State public universities category and Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), New Delhi is the best open university. Symbiosis Skill and Professional University, Pune emerged the best in the skill universities category.
A total of 6,517 institutions participated in the ranking under overall, category-specific or domain-specific rankings. “In all, 10,845 applications for ranking were made by these 6,517 unique institutions under various categories/domains including 2,781 in overall category, 1,463 in engineering and 3,371 in general degree colleges,” the Union Education Ministry said in a release, highlighting a “noticeable increase” in institutional participation in the rankings exercise.
Mr. Pradhan said the Centre is considering inclusion of institutions in the neighbouring countries in the ranking to make it more comprehensive. “We should devise mechanisms to bring intangible aspects of education in the rankings framework,” he said.
In the overall category ranking, IISc Bengaluru and IIT, Bombay continued to be in the second and third positions. Top 100 in overall category consist of 23 State public universities, 22 private deemed universities, 16 IITs, nine NITs, seven central universities, seven private universities, four AIIMS, IISERs and government deemed universities each, three other CFTIs and one college.
Jawaharlal Nehru University and Jamia Millia Islamia, both in New Delhi, have secured the second and third ranks in the university category. Jadavpur University, Kolkata and Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune are the second and third best universities under State public universities category. St. Stephen’s College, New Delhi and Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandira, Howrah shared the third place in colleges category. IITs in Madras and Delhi secured second and third places in research institution subject.
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hyderabad and Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani are the second and third best colleges for pharmaceutical studies. National Law University, New Delhi and Nalsar University of Law, Hyderabad are the second and third best law colleges.
For medical sciences, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh and Christian Medical College, Vellore follow AIIMS, Delhi.