2020 QS World University Rankings: IIT Bombay emerges as best institution in India followed by IIT Delhi, IISc Bangalore

New Delhi: Three Indian institutes: Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), Bombay, IIT Delhi and Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore have found a place among the top 200 in the prestigious Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings released on Wednesday. [caption id=“attachment_3503823” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of IIT Bombay. Wikimedia Commons[/caption] The QS global rankings 2020, which was released in London, has 50 new entrants globally and India-based OP Jindal Global University (JGU), established in 2009, has become the youngest university to break into top 1,000 in the prestigious rankings. IIT-Madras, IIT-Kharagpur, IIT-Kanpur, and IIT-Roorkee are also among the top 400 institutes. IIT-Guwahati, ranked 491, saw a decline in its ranking since 2019 when it was placed at 472. The Delhi University improved on its 2019 rank of 487 and is placed at 474 in the latest rankings. HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ tweeted, “It is a matter of great pride that in the prestigious QS rankings, IIT-Bombay, IIT-Delhi and IISc (Bangalore) have been included in the top 200 institutes. “I wish to congratulate everyone on this occasion. We are determined to take other institutions to the top on the strength of educational excellence,” he said. R Subrahmanyam, the Secretary of Higher Education in the HRD Ministry, wrote on the microblogging site, “IIT Kharagpur is of the fastest rising institution in the world rankings, which jumped up 14 places compared to last year. Congratulations!” The HRD ministry said Indian institutions in the top 500 did better than last year but competition in Asia has been severe. “Despite that IIT-B has made it to the top 152 of the world for the very first time, jumping up 10 places. IISc is ranked second in the world for Citations per Faculty,” the ministry said. Nine institutions of India are among the top 500 of the world, the only state institute is the University of Delhi which has improved by over 13 places, the ministry added. However, IIT-Delhi saw a decline in its ranking from 172 to 182. Even IISc slipped from its earlier rank of 170 to 184 this time. Other universities that figure in the rankings are Jamia Millia Islamia, Jadavpur University, Aligarh Muslim University, Hyderabad University, Calcutta University, and Mumbai University. Naveen Jindal, the Founding Chancellor of JGU, said, “JGU’s maiden entry into the QS World University Rankings 2020 is a phenomenal achievement as we celebrate our 10th anniversary.” Historically, such rankings have favoured universities oriented towards science, technology, engineering, mathematics disciplines and medicine, but the JGU was the only Indian university focused on social sciences, arts, humanities and professions such as law, business administration and architecture, the JGU said in a statement. Professor C Raj Kumar, the Founding Vice-Chancellor of JGU, said, “This was an extraordinary international recognition for a university which was barely a decade old. Our commitment to maintaining the highest standards of excellence since our founding has helped us achieve this distinction.”