The Guardian is seriously lamenting that British universities have been rated badly by Times Higher Education list of 2010. But that’s going to be nothing compared to when our HRD Minister is asked about it – if he doesn’t go on a rant, I’ll start learning Chinese.
For, there are *no* Indian Universities, including the famed IIT/IISC in the top 200. They don’t even appear in the top Asian Universities. Intrigued, I went after the other rating site the QS Top Universities. To my horror, no Indian institution in the top 100 and scrolling down shows none of ours, till we reach rank 187 where we find IIT Bombay.
Even in regional (Asia) list, the IITB is ranked 36; My hometown IIT Madras is at a ‘comfortable 53’ – more worrying is that both (in fact all) of them seems to have dropped a few places*.
What is happening?
China, Japan, Hong Kong and even Singapore are doing better – and it reflects on the amount of research papers submitted in those countries. A whopping 11% for China versus the measly 3.4% from India and the Indian impact (average number of citations per page) is well below world average.
This situation is expected to improve with Indian contribution projected to overtake most of G8 nations in next 5 to 10 years. But if our higher educational institutions are not in the top 50 or even 100, can we ever lead in the fields? What will be the quality of such research – top class or middling level? Time to take out those worry beads.
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* The one exception is IIT Guwahati which seems to have leaped more than 100 places.
For, there are *no* Indian Universities, including the famed IIT/IISC in the top 200. They don’t even appear in the top Asian Universities. Intrigued, I went after the other rating site the QS Top Universities. To my horror, no Indian institution in the top 100 and scrolling down shows none of ours, till we reach rank 187 where we find IIT Bombay.
Even in regional (Asia) list, the IITB is ranked 36; My hometown IIT Madras is at a ‘comfortable 53’ – more worrying is that both (in fact all) of them seems to have dropped a few places*.
What is happening?
China, Japan, Hong Kong and even Singapore are doing better – and it reflects on the amount of research papers submitted in those countries. A whopping 11% for China versus the measly 3.4% from India and the Indian impact (average number of citations per page) is well below world average.
This situation is expected to improve with Indian contribution projected to overtake most of G8 nations in next 5 to 10 years. But if our higher educational institutions are not in the top 50 or even 100, can we ever lead in the fields? What will be the quality of such research – top class or middling level? Time to take out those worry beads.
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* The one exception is IIT Guwahati which seems to have leaped more than 100 places.
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