New Delhi: The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore has emerged as the top university, with Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) New Delhi and Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) closely following in second and third place, respectively, retaining their positions from last year. These universities have been ranked according to the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2024, released by the Ministry of Education.
This year’s rankings saw a change in the fourth spot, with Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, replacing Jadavpur University. Banaras Hindu University (BHU) Varanasi secured the fifth position, while Delhi University jumped from 11th to sixth place.
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham retained its seventh spot, and Aligarh Muslim University improved its ranking from ninth to eighth. Jadavpur University slipped from fourth to ninth, and Vellore Institute of Technology dropped from eighth to tenth.
Three non-government universities — Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, and Vellore Institute of Technology — featured in the top ten list.
Notably, JNU, known for its liberal and progressive atmosphere, has been targeted for its alleged “anti-national” activities. In 2016, the university was at the center of a controversy surrounding sedition charges against students and faculty members. The incident sparked a nationwide debate on free speech and nationalism.
JMI, on the other hand, has faced criticism for its perceived “Islamic” leanings. In 2019, the university was targeted during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests, with allegations of “Islamic terrorism” and “anti-national” activities.
The vilification of JNU and JMI is often linked to their commitment to social justice, inclusivity, and critical thinking. Despite these challenges, both the universities continue to excel academically.
The NIRF is a methodology adopted by the Ministry of Education to rank institutions of higher education in the country. The process begins with institutions voluntarily participating in the ranking process by submitting their data online. NIRF uses five broad parameters to evaluate institutions, including Teaching, Learning, and Resources (TLR), Research and Professional Practice (RP), Graduation Outcomes (GO), Outreach and Inclusivity (OI), and Perception (PR).
