GS Paper 2
Syllabus: Government policies and Intervention, Issues related to Education
Source: TH
Context: National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) recently released the India Rankings for 2023, evaluating higher education institutions based on various parameters.
What is NIRF Ranking?
National Institutional Ranking Framework is a methodology developed by the Ministry of Education (formerly the Ministry of Human Resource Development) in India to rank higher education institutions in the country. It was launched in September 2015 and aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of institutions based on various parameters.
Ranking parameters:
- Teaching, Learning & Resources (30% weightage)
- Research and Professional Practice (30%)
- Graduation Outcomes (20%)
- Outreach and Inclusivity (10%)
- Perception (10%)
Key highlights of the NIRF 2023:
| Area of Ranking | Major Highlights |
| This year’s ranking has integrated the “Innovation” ranking previously executed by the Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) into the India Rankings to reduce the burden on institutions of providing similar data to two different agencies | |
| Participants | Increased participation from 3565 institutes in 2016 to 8686 in 2023 |
| Top Engineering Institutes | IIT-Madras (1st), IIT-Delhi (2nd), IIT-Bombay (3rd) |
| Top Management Institutes | IIM Ahmedabad (1st), IIM Bangalore (2nd), IIM Kozhikode (3rd) |
| Top Law Institutes | National Law School of India University, Bengaluru (1st), National Law University, Delhi (2nd), NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad (3rd) |
| Top Pharmacy Institutes | National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hyderabad (1st), Jamia Hamdard (2nd), BITS Pilani (3rd) |
| Top Colleges | Delhi University (DU) colleges secured positions in the top 10 colleges in India, with Miranda House (1st) and Hindu College (2nd) leading the rankings |
Key issues with the NIRF Ranking:
| Issues | Description |
| Methodology and Indicators | Focus on bibliometric measures (e.g., number of citations, publication rather than the quality of papers) sidelining other forms of intellectual contributions. |
| Lack of Comprehensive Evaluation | Bibliometric indicators may not fully capture the complexities of scientific performance. |
| Limited Participation | Only about 12% of higher educational institutions participated in the ranking process. |
| Urban Bias and Low Progress in Rural Participation | Scant presence of colleges from rural areas in the top 100 rankings. The ranking is more concentrated at institutes in urban areas. |
| Lack of Transparency | Institutions and stakeholders should have access to detailed information about the methodology, data sources, weightage assigned to different indicators, and the process of data collection and analysis. |
| Lack of rigorous system | An analysis of the data submitted by some private universities under the NIRF provides evidence of data fudging |
Major challenges pointed out by NIRF ranking for higher education institutes:
| Incongruence between Quantity and Quality | The concentration of high-quality colleges in a few states, highlights the need for a mission to improve quality across the country. |
| Quality Differences between Private and Government Institutions | Private institutions have lower rankings compared to government institutions. |
| Correlation between Faculty Strength and Rankings | Vast differences in faculty strength between top-ranked and other institutions. Importance of quality education beyond infrastructure. |
| Scholarly Output and Research Investments | A small percentage of institutions contribute to a significant portion of scholarly output. Need for increased research investments and funding. |
| Need for Quality Enhancement and Financial Resources | Rankings highlight the urgent need for improving quality in the higher education system, requiring substantial financial resources. |
Way forward:
To promote comprehensive evaluation of universities in India, it is necessary to move beyond relying solely on bibliometrics and incorporate a wider range of qualitative and quantitative factors. This will result in a more holistic assessment of institutional performance. Additionally, transparency in ranking methodologies, the inclusion of diverse factors, and maintaining a balance between quantitative metrics and qualitative assessments are crucial.
Conclusion:
The rankings underscore the urgent need for quality enhancement in the higher education system and require substantial financial resources to compete globally.
Insta Links:
Union Education Minister Releases India Rankings 2022 of higher educational institutes
Mains Link:
National Education Policy 2020 is in line with Sustainable Development Goals-4 (2030). It intended to restructure and re-orient the education system in India. Critically examine the statement(UPSC 2020)
Prelims Link
Which of the following is/are parameters used by NIRF for ranking higher educational institutions?
- Teaching, learning and resources(TLR)
- Graduation outcome
- Number of students Passing out
- Inclusivity and perception
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
- 1, 2 and 4 only
- 1, 3 and 4 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1, 2, 3 and 4
Ans: (a)
