Nurture all universities for Indian higher education to get globally competitive

livemint.com:

The landscape of Indian higher education institutions (HEIs) is experiencing rapid evolution, propelled by factors such as changing student expectations, a renewed emphasis on research quality and innovation, burgeoning global collaborations, a fervent desire for international recognition and intense competition in the academic sector among both public and private players. This transformation is also fuelled by accrediting bodies and ranking entities like NAAC, NBA, NIRF, UGC and AICTE, which wield substantial influence, shaping the academic landscape in terms of peer standing, access to grants and funding, student preferences, branding, faculty recruitment and development, and the introduction of new courses.

With the New Education Policy (NEP) and establishment of Institutions of Eminence (IOEs) playing catalyst, a palpable sense of change has engulfed the industry. Institutions are investing to achieve better national and global ranks.

Notable institutions like IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi have made their mark in the global top 200, with IIT Bombay placed 149th by the 2024 QS Rankings. Private institutions like OP Jindal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), VIT, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences and Shoolini University have also carved out top-1,000 positions globally.

Highly relevant in this context is a report published this May titled, ‘Transformative Reforms for Strengthening Periodic Assessment and Accreditation of All Higher Educational Institutions in India’ by a committee appointed by the ministry of education, led by K. Radhakrishnan, chairman of IIT Kanpur’s board of governors.