Page 45 - EW April 2025

It’s a positive development in the
national interest that the league table
of private multidisciplinary universi-
ties which are acquiring a national
profile, is lengthening every year.
Contrary to the dismissive attitude of
academic dons in lackadaisical gov-
ernment HEIs established with pub-
lic investment, substantial private
savings, time and effort have been
invested in privately-promoted HEIs
and universities which are typically
more ambitious, competitive and tend
to benchmark themselves with the
best worldwide. Therefore, they are
valuable national assets more likely to
nurture and develop alumni who will
invent and innovate revolutionary,
game-changer products and services
Dr. Madhu Chitkara (right): cutting-edge research & experiential education that also-ran Indian industry, agricul-
ture and society urgently need.
aggregate enrolment at its two cam- as Andhra Pradesh/Tamil Nadu’s Be that as it may, it is also pertinent
puses in Chandigarh and Mohali has first new genre liberal arts university to bear in mind that private multidis-
risen to 22,000 students mentored by in 2018 aroused great expectations ciplinary universities modestly ranked
2,000 faculty. and merited a cover story in Educa- nationally are often highly respected
The Top 10 table is completed by tionWorld (2020), has since sunk academic heavyweights in their host
Amrita Vishwa University, Co- into obscurity and has lost rank at states, most as populous as Western
imbatore ranked #8 cf. #5 in 2024- #14 (11). Ditto the well-endowed GI- nations. As alluded to earlier St. Jo-
25; Symbiosis International TAM University, Visakhapatnam seph’s University, Bengaluru
University, Pune at #9 (9) and the ranked #16 (14) nationally. The man- ranked #12 nationally is #1 in Kar-
Satyabhama Institute of Science agements of these privately promoted nataka (pop.70 million); Krea Uni-
& Technology, Chennai which has HEIs could perhaps derive some use- versity, Sri City India #14 is #1 in
entered the Top 10 (11). These report- ful lessons about brand building and Andhra Pradesh (pop.53 million); the
edly well-endowed universities are institutional management from Amity steadily ascendant Jagran Lakec-
arguably stuck in a groove because of University which within two decades, ity University, Bhopal ranked
low media penetration and poor ad has built itself an international repu- India #23 is numero uno in Madhya
spend planning. tation. Pradesh (pop.60 million) and Nirma
Beyond the Top 10, several low me- Further down the Top 20 table, University, Ahmedabad India #24
dia profile universities have moved up the recently established Presidency is #1 in Gujarat (pop.71 million), a
a notch or two in the perception of this University, Bengaluru is promoted short nose ahead of the recently (2015)
year’s sample respondents. Among to #15 (17) and the greenfield Mani- promoted and well-marketed Parul
them: Shoolini University, Bajhol pal University, Jaipur has debuted University, Vadodara at #25 and
(Himachal Pradesh) which despite its at #18. The recent suicide of a Nepal- second ranked multidisciplinary uni-
remote location has acquired a good ese student on campus and the nor- versity of the state.
reputation (and score) for research matively empathetic management’s Careful study of the EW 2025-26
& innovation; St. Joseph’s Uni- callous response to this tragedy has national league table of India’s most
versity, Bengaluru #12 which has cost the Kalinga Institute of In- admired private multidisciplinary uni-
pipped the anecdotally highly reputed dustrial Technology heavily. KIIT versities is likely to yield interesting,
Christ University, Bengaluru as ranked among India’s Top 10 in 2024- and perhaps life-changing informa-
Karnataka’s premier multidisciplinary 25 and Odisha #1 has been demoted to tion for parents and students aspir-
university, and Somaiya Vidyavi- #17 and has lost its top rank in Odisha ing to contribute towards realisation
har University, Mumbai voted #13 to Shiksha ‘O’ Anushandhan Uni- of the Viksit Bharat and $30 trillion
(15) this year. versity. UPES, Dehradun and the GDP goals by 2047 set by Prime Min-
Disappointingly, the highly prom- newly promoted Chitkara Universi- ister Modi to make up for the lost so-
ising Krea University whose advent ty, Solan (HP) complete the Top 20. cialist decades.

APRIL 2025 EDUCATIONWORLD 45