Publsihed: Saturday, 10 June, 2017 12:45 PM
EPSI Delegation met Hon’ble President of India
A delegation of the Education Promotion Society for India (EPSI) and QS Rankings, UK today met His Excellency President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee. President Shri Mukherjee was presented the Global Rankings of Universities for 2018 by the EPSI President Dr G Viswanathan and Mr Ashwin Fernandes, Regional Director, QS in Asia.
President Dr Pranab Mukheree expressed his happiness that EPSI is playing a catalyst role in promoting the growth and quality of education in India. He also appreciated the EPSI for launching a web portal Studyindia.org, which will list all the Universities & Colleges and the courses they offer. The rankings of the colleges, the research fields available and the job opportunities offered will also be showcased on this portal. He said happy that this portal is promoting Indian Higher Education and will give a big push to attract foreign students. EPSI through this web portal is targeting one lakh foreign students in the year 2018. This is a welcome move. He congratulated Dr G Viswanathan, President EPSI and the office bearers to take up this cause.
President Shri Pranab Mukherjee has expressed his satisfaction to note the gradual progress of Indian Universities to compete at global level and to improve in various global level rankings. He said that the QS World University Rankings are amongst the top referenced University Rankings in the world today. In this background, the 2018 Education of QS World Rankings will be a considered resource for students, parents, academics and policy makers alike to use in pursuit of their various goals.
President Shri Mukherjee was of the view that in India, these rankings amongst others have shown us the significant impact India has on the global stage. While India now has the National Institute Ranking Framework (NIRF), which shows how institutions perform within the country, it is imperative that the best from India, compete in the global area and keep India proud and rising year after year.
As mentioned by QS Regional Director, Mr Ashwin Fernandes – three years ago, India was home to only 14 ranked universities in the QS world ranking. It is now home to twenty top universities, with six new universities having entered the cohort in that time. This demonstrates that more of our institutions are being deemed worthy of entry into the world rankings, which in turn indicates greater strength in quality.
President said that this is encouraging. As India’s tertiary-age population increases rapidly, increasing the number of globally-competitive universities is a necessity. The rise in ranked universities since previous editions suggests that we are creating a system able to cater to this cohort of motivated young individuals.
Shri Mukherjee said that it has been a dream for him to see Indian universities in the top 200 of the world, and that was possible last year when IISC made a debut in the QS World University Rankings and was ranked 152, along with IIT Delhi which was ranked 185. This year IIT Delhi and IIT Mumbai have joined IISC in becoming the only 3 Indian universities in the top 200.
He said that he was very happy to learn that for the first time in the QS World Rankings, two private universities have made a mark – Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS, Pilani); and Manipal University. However this does not mean that we should sit on our laurels. The time has come to work towards entering the top 100 ranking and he wishedthat Indian higher education all the best.
President said that he has been told a very interesting fact today about India’s research performance as observed in this ranking. The importance of producing high-quality research to a nation’s higher education system remains high. World-leaders are renowned for both teaching quality and research, and research production is one crucial means by which universities benefit their society. India might, therefore, feels pride to the improvements that its institutions are making in terms of both research intensiveness and impact.
He was particularly happy to note that IISc Bangalore now ranked 6th globally for Citations per Faculty, receiving a score of 100 out of 100, and rising 5 places.In fact, five of India’s twenty ranked universities are in the global top-100 for Citations per Faculty, and a number of IITs have made improvements to their scores this year. The benefits are tangible: IIT Kanpur’s leap into the top 300 is based primarily on the rising impact of its research.
President Shri Mukherjee said that it would be encouraging to see more private institutions appearing in the rankingas well; and for India to have at least 1 institution in the top 100 by 2020 and at least 5 by 2025. This would be a true measure of how India has been able to look beyond the past and towards the future of becoming a first world player.
To conclude, he said that the national bodies like EPSI should play a vital role in supporting such missions, and it is hoped that the EPSI will work towards fulfilment of the goal of making India proud of its quality institutions of higher learning and its universities.
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