Page 64 - EW June 2021 Low Res

Cover Story EW India Government University Rankings 2021-22

Space Science and Technology,
Thiruvananthapuram at #12 (64),
Indian Institute of Information
Technology (IIIT), Allahabad #14
(23), Punjab Engineering College
(Deemed University), Chandi-
garh #16 (26) and National Dairy
Research Institute, Karnal #19
(46) have all recorded substantial
advancement in EWIHER 2021-22.
lthough Bangalore Uni-
versity ranked #18 (20) has
Arecorded a modest improve-
ment in its ranking, Dr. Venugopal
K.R, vice chancellor of Bangalore
University (BU, estb.1964), is “hum-
bled and grateful” that the EW sample
respondents have ranked it #5 in Kar-
nataka.
“BU, which had grown too large Bangalore University admin HQ. Inset: Dr. Venugopal
and unwieldy, was trifurcated in 2017.
Obviously this restructuring initiative abundantly clear that this system has ranked nationally in the 158-strong
has worked because since then, we massively increased the administra- EW India Government University
have been steadily rising in all media tive and conduction of exams load of Rankings 2021-22, are often heavy-
ranking surveys. Given our location in affiliating universities to the neglect weights in their host states, some of
the Silicon Valley of India, BU enjoys of research, syllabus upgradation and which are as populous as European
accessibility to excellent educational, institutional reforms. countries.
business and digital resources. More- The National Education Policy For instance, National Law Uni-
over, I’m especially satisfied that your (NEP) 2020, presented to the nation versity (NLU), Jodhpur, ranked
respondents have given us high scores on July 29 last year, offers hope of India #40 is #1 in Rajasthan (pop. 68
on the parameter of range and diver- breaking this logjam. It has proposed million), MS University, Baroda
sity of programmes because BU offers abolition of the affiliation system and India #25 is #1 in Gujarat (65 mil-
more than 75 study courses ranging “gradually phasing out the system of lion). Similarly, the low-profile Ut-
from agriculture, entrepreneurship, ‘affiliated colleges’ over a period of kal University, Bhubaneswar,
biotechnology to forensic science and 15 years through a system of graded ranked #54 nationally is #1 in Odisha
Tibetan literature,” says Venugopal. autonomy, to be carried out in a chal- and the slowly progressing Nalanda
A polymath alum of BU, Indian Insti- lenge mode”. University, Rajgir, India #73 is al-
tute of Science, Bengaluru and IIT- Meanwhile beyond the Top 20 ta- ready Bihar #1.
Madras, with “11 academic degrees, ble of the EW 2021-22 rankings, there Although somewhat overshadowed
two Ph Ds, 1,000 published papers has been a major reshuffle in the seat- by new millennium private univer-
and author of 72 books”, Venugopal ing order. Several public universities sities mushrooming countrywide,
served in several leadership positions have risen high in the public esteem. public/government universities nev-
at BU for over three decades before Among them: the Homi Bhabha ertheless play an important role in
his appointment as VC in 2018. National Institute (Deemed Uni- national development. They provide
As the success of the trifurcation versity), Mumbai, which has leap- affordable tertiary education to In-
of Bangalore University indicates, a frogged to #31 from #100 last year; dia’s lower middle and working class
major cause of the academic stagna- Maharishi Dayanand Universi- youth whose workplace productivity
tion of India’s 522 public universities ty, Rohtak to #39 (107); Kakatiya is critical for Indian industry, agricul-
is the affiliating system under which University, Warangal to #51 (101) ture and government. By proposing to
hundreds of undergrad colleges fall and Ramakrishna Mission Vive- reduce their administrative workload
within the administrative purview kananda University Educational and establishing new standards and
of every state government university and Research Institute (Deemed regulatory authorities, NEP 2020 of-
(except for Delhi University, Central University), Howrah to #56 (114). fers hope of rejuvenating and mod-
universities are prohibited from af- In this connection, it’s important ernising the country’s languishing
filiating undergrad colleges). It’s now to note that universities modestly public universities.

64 EDUCATIONWORLD JUNE 2021