The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee received the 2018 edition of the QS World University Rankings brought out by the Education Promotion Society of India (EPSI) today (June 9, 2017) at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Speaking on the occasion, the President urged EPSI to continue the efforts they are making in the education sector. He said that he was happy to find three Indian institutions – IIT Delhi and IISc Bangalore, which were already in the top 200, and the latest entrant IIT Bombay securing ranks within the coveted top 200 andIISc Bangalore being now ranked 6th globally for Citations per Faculty.
The President said that while in terms of infrastructure there has been considerable expansion in the higher education sector, quality of education in many institutes remains a matter of concern. In ancient times, we had renowned seats of higher learning – Nalanda, Takshashila, Vikramashila, Valabhi, Somapura and Odantapuri – that dominated the world higher education system for eighteen hundred years beginning sixth century BC. Scholars from round the globe flocked to these centres of learning in search of knowledge. A reverse scenario exists today. Many meritorious Indian students pursue their higher studies from foreign universities. Our higher learning institutions are capable of producing world-class scholars but lose them to foreign universities.
The President said that during his visits to the universities in his capacity as Visitor to Central Intuitions of Higher Learning, he had been sharing his concerns about the performance of Indian institutions in world university rankings. He stated that he always believed that the standards of our universities are higher than what these rankings suggested. Perhaps, it was the lack of importance given to the rankings process that stood in the way of our institutions being projected the way they should be. A high rank can boost the morale of the academic and student communities, open greater avenues of growth and placement for students, help attract the best faculty from across the world, and provide a benchmark for continuous quality enhancement.
