Panjab University slide unabated, down 16 rungs in NIRF
Akashdeep Virk
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, August 12
After witnessing minor slips for two consecutive years in the past, Panjab University (PU) recorded a fall of 16 ranks in the ‘overall’ category of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF)-2024 released by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) today.
Need more faculty: VC
We have improved our scores of various parameters and are ranked 5th among state universities. We need to improve faculty strength. — Dr Renu Vig, Vice-Chancellor, PU
“The university could not perform well on RPC and GO parameters because of lack of enough faculty members, which is directly affecting the research prospects. “The private institutions are doing better in terms of hiring faculty members. The PU has not been able to hire regular faculty for many years. This is directly affecting the research domain. Moreover, the university has suffered on the GO parameter because there are very less jobs available right now. In fact, PhD students are the worst hit as after all these years of hard work and study, they do not see good job prospects," said Dr Arun Kumar Grover, former Vice-Chancellor, Panjab University.
Better performance in three parameters
The PU scored better than last year in the 'Outreach and inclusivity' parameter. This year, the university scored 63.38 out of 100 while it had scored 59.92 last year. Under this parameter, an institution is judged on the basis of 'Percentage of students from other states/countries', 'Percentage of women', 'economically and socially challenged students' and 'Facilities for physically challenged students'.
In 'Perception' parameter, the PU scored 29.55 out of 100, which is a little better than 28.52 score of last year. The PU managed to score few notches above in 'Teaching, learning and resources' parameter than the last year by getting 54.31 out of 100 against 51.09 last year. However, in this parameter's sub-category, 'Financial resources and their utilisation', the university scored 6.95 out of 20 against the score of 7.07 last year.
Rank dips in university category too
The institution recorded a slight jump in score under the 'university' category, but a drop in the rank. The university was placed 38th with an overall score of 55.11 this year against last year's score of 54.86 and 27th rank. However, in the new category of 'State Public University', the university has been placed 5th with a score of 67.43.
In 'Research', the university slid to 35th spot from last year's 33rd. In 'Management', the university slipped to 92nd rank from last year's 82nd. In Pharmacy, it rose a rank up from last year's 8th. In Dental, the university jumped to 27th rank from last year' 34th.
IIT-Ropar placed 48th
Meanwhile, the IIT-Ropar attained 48th rank with a score of 53.12. Last year, it was ranked 33rd. In 'Engineering' category, the institution retained the 22nd rank with a score of 61.56.
Sec 10 college gains spot
Government Home Science College, Sector 10, gained a spot in the colleges category of the NIRF-2024. It is placed 51st this year. In the 2022 rankings, it was on 46th position. The Chandigarh College of Architecture, Sector 12, attained the 30th rank against 29th rank last year. The GGDSD College, Sector 32, is a new entry in the list. It is placed 70th in the college category.
