Out of list, Punjabi University Vice-Chancellor questions NIRF ranking system

Ravneet Singh

Patiala, June 5

Punjabi University Vice-Chancellor Prof Arvind today raised questions on the NIRF ranking system and said such method of ranking universities and institutions in the country is fundamentally flawed. He said Punjabi University would do well on a ranking based on providing value education to socially backward sections of the society.

The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) Rankings-2023 were released today. The ranking outlines a methodology to rank participant institutions across the country on teaching, learning and resources, research and professional practices, graduation outcomes, outreach and inclusivity and perception.

The Punjabi University, which had featured in the university category in the rank-band of 151-200 last year, failed to find a place on the list. However, it managed to bag a place among top 40 institutions for pharmacy in the country.

The VC said the university’s major shortcoming was filling faculty positions. “Private institutions can fill their vacant positions as they wish, but our activities are dependent on the availability of funds. On the one hand, the governments fails to provide funds for public universities and on the other, they adopt systems that discourage public universities,” he reasoned.

Prof Arvind added that IITs and IIMs in the country do well as they do not face problems in filling vacancies and getting funds. “Meanwhile, we (Punjabi University) are doing well. We are not bothered about these rankings. But such a ranking systems make public institutions suffer. There is also a hidden agenda to reduce funds from the government wherein it would call only the top certain number of universities to apply for sanction of funds,” he said.

Thapar jumps to 40th rank

Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology has improved its ranking from 57th overall position last year to 40th this year.