Page 74 - EW April 2025

Cover Story

INDIA’S BEST GOVERNMENT MULTI-

DISCIPLINARY UNIVERSITIES

India’s higher ed system comprises 685 government In 2020, the annual Education-
universities — 240 Central and 445 state government World India Higher Education
institutions. Together they teach 74 percent of the 43.3 Rankings, which hitherto ranked
only privately promoted higher
million youth enrolled in the country’s higher education education institutions, were expand-
system ed to also rank best government
universities. Subsequently, in 2022,
under the categories of private and
government universities, institutions
were further sub-divided according
to subject specialisation, to provide
level playing field comparisons.
To compile the EW Best Govern-
ment University Rankings 2025-
26, the Bengaluru-based market
research company AZ Research
Partners Pvt. Ltd (estb.2002) inter-
viewed 2,100 sample respondents
comprising higher education faculty,
students and industry representa-
tives in 22 states countrywide. These
respondents were persuaded to
award government universities of
whom they have sufficient knowl-
edge, perceptual scores of 1-300
under ten parameters of higher
MU's Dr. Ravindra Kulkarni (centre): industry knowledge & academics integration education excellence.
Since the subject-wise sub-
lthough over the past tion are enrolled in the country’s 455 division of government universi-
decade, the country’s private universities. ties in 2022, Delhi University
new-genre capital-inten- In particular, India’s 445 state (DU, estb.1922) has consistently
Asive private universities government universities have an been ranked India #1 in the multi-
— they have multiplied from 276 in outsize impact on the higher ed disciplinary category of the annual
2015-16 to 455 in 2023-24 — are of- system. Over 45,000 undergraduate EWHIER. The National Education
fering stiff competition to the coun- colleges countrywide are affili- Policy (NEP) 2020 has strongly
try’s government/public universi- ated with them. State government recommended that all colleges and
ties, the latter continue to dominate universities prescribe the academic universities transform into multidis-
the Indian higher education ecosys- syllabuses, sanction new study pro- ciplinary degree awarding universi-
tem which comprises 685 govern- grammes, conduct examinations and ties as early as possible. Therefore
ment universities — 240 Central and award degrees of affiliated colleges. multidisciplinary university rank-
445 state government institutions. Moreover, because both Central ings assume great importance.
Together they teach 74 percent of and state government varsities offer Although this year’s sample
the 43.3 million youth enrolled in heavily subsidised higher education, respondents have again voted DU
the country’s higher education sys- they are more popular and preferred India’s #1 government multidisci-
tem. On the other hand, a mere 26.3 over relatively pricey private univer- plinary university, it is co-ranked
percent of youth in tertiary educa- sities. with the Maharashtra state gov-

74 EDUCATIONWORLD APRIL 2025