Chandigarh: Panjab University slides to 60th spot in NIRF ranking, lowest in 9 years (2024)

Slipping in standings for the third consecutive year, Panjab University has been placed 60th in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), marking its lowest-ever position since the first rankings were released in 2016.

The NIRF was started by the Union ministry of human resource development (now ministry of education) in 2015. This framework outlines a methodology to rank institutions across the country. The methodology draws from the overall recommendations by a core committee set up by MHRD to identify the broad parameters for ranking various universities and institutions. The parameters broadly cover “teaching, learning and resources (TLR)”, “research and professional practices (RPC)”, “graduation outcomes (GO)”, “outreach and inclusivity (OI)” and “perception”.

This year, PU’s overall score slumped from 53.31 out of 100 last year to 52.99 after a slide in the marks of two out of the five parameters.

While the varsity has shown improvement in TLR, OI and peer perception, it has faltered in the RPC and GO parameters. The biggest drop came in research, where the score fell from 46.65 last year to 42.01 this year.

This includes metrics like publications, quality of publications and patents granted among others. Graduation outcomes, which includes metrics for university examinations and number of PhD students graduated, fell from 75.77 to 74.07.

Speaking about this decline, PU vice-chancellor (V-C) Renu Vig said they will go over the report in detail to see where they lacked. “Shortage of faculty and funds seems to be the main reason for the result. We have already started recruitment and will better motivate faculty to focus on quality research,” she said.

Panjab University Teachers Association (PUTA) president AS Naura added, “Beyond numbers, PU has a reputation which goes beyond 100 years and we still enjoy such a reputation globally with an exceptional network of alumni throughout the world. With the right leadership at the helm, we expect that PU will become even better.”

PU fifth among state public universities

With NIRF starting a new ranking category this year for state public universities, PU has secured the fifth rank among them. A total of 50 universities participated in this category. In the university category, PU ranked 38 this year, while last year it was at the 25th spot among universities.

PU has also performed well in the pharmacy category, securing rank 7. Last year it was placed 8th, but in 2022 its rank was third. The varsity also improved its rank in dental courses, going from 34 last year to 27 this year.

PU’s ranking among research institutions dropped slightly from 33 to 35. Among management institutions, it has been ranked 92, compared to 82 in 2023.

Just like last year, the university didn’t find mention in the top 100 ranks for engineering. Punjab Engineering College (PEC) was also missing from the top 100 ranks. Both were placed in the 101-150 bracket for engineering. The university also didn’t find any mention in the top 100 ranks for law courses.

Two city colleges in top 100

Meanwhile, two government-aided colleges in Chandigarh have also figured in the top 100 colleges list released by NIRF. Government Home Science College in Sector 10 was ranked 51 with an overall score of 55.92, an improvement from 52 in last year’s rankings.

Goswami Ganesh Dutta Sanatan Dharma College, Sector 32, also improved its score to 54.50, ranking 70th this year after not making it to the top 100 colleges in 2023.

Speaking about the result, UT director higher education Rubinderjit Singh Brar said, “We are happy that two city colleges have been ranked in the top 100. We will encourage them to improve their score further next year, while we will work with other colleges of the city as well so that they can also make it to the top 100 list.”

Private colleges continue upward trajectory

Chandigarh University, Gharuan, continued its upward trajectory, going from overall rank 45 last year to 32 this year. Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences, Solan, which figured in the 101-150 band for overall ranks last year also jumped to the 89th place this year.

Founder and chancellor of Shoolini university, PK Khosla said the 15-year-old university had been consistently improving its rankings and figured among the top 150 for the sixth year in a row.

Elated over CU’s performance, Rajya Sabha member and Chandigarh University (CU) chancellor Satnam Singh Sandhu said, “It’s a matter of great pride that we have secured the 20th rank among India’s top universities and that too in a short span of 12 years, given the fact that CU was established in 2012. It has placed CU among India’s elite educational institutions like IITs and IIMs.”