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BITS-Pilani vice chancellor Dr. Ramgopal Rao: research and incubation powerhouse

except by your editors (see https://www.educationworld. are privately promoted.
in/educationworld-current-issue/educationworld-no- Against this backdrop, we commissioned the
vember-2023/). Bangalore-based AZ Research Partners Pvt. Ltd
However, the IITs and the country’s 31 NITs (National (estb.2010) to constitute and interview a representative
Institutes of Technology) which also provide quality, database of 2,100 sample respondents comprising vice
highly-subsidised engineering and technology education chancellors, faculty, industry leaders and senior students
to next best students who write the annual IIT-JEE (joint in colleges and universities to rate India’s most reputed
entrance exam), repeatedly topped the initial Education- private engineering institutions under nine parameters
World league table of engineering colleges/universities. of higher education excellence. The parameters: leader-
But they admit a mere 2-3 percent of the 1.2 million ship and governance; faculty welfare & development;
school-leavers who write the annual IIT-JEE (joint en- faculty competence; curriculum & pedagogy; industry in-
trance exam). terface; research & innovation; infrastructure; placement
Therefore in 2016, your editors decided to eliminate of graduates and value for money that students derive.
IITs, NITs and government-owned engineering colleges The parameters were given differing weightages
from the annual EducationWorld India Higher Education (maximum scores attainable) with faculty competence
Rankings (EWIHER). The reasoning was that since these accorded highest weight (350). Scores awarded by
institutions are routinely top-ranked in all league tables sample respondents under each parameter were totaled
published by government, Indian and foreign media, (maximum attainable: 2,300) to rank Top 100 private
and they admit just a thin 2-3 percent of school-leavers engineering colleges.
aspiring for undergrad engineering education, the public Somewhat surprisingly although this year the field
interest would be better served if we ranked India’s interviews were conducted by our new partner AZ Re-
next best private engineering colleges which admit the search, the EWIHER 2024-25 league table of India’s Top
overwhelming majority of engineering aspirants. In 100 engineering colleges reflects only marginal changes
this connection, it’s noteworthy that over 70 percent of compared with last year (2023-24). In the Top 10 table,
India’s engineering HEIs (higher education institutions) there are minor seating re-arrangements. This indicates

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