Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala’s universities have achieved remarkable success in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) rankings for public sector universities. Three of Kerala’s universities secured spots in the top 15 rankings. The University of Kerala earned the 9th rank, Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) secured the 10th rank, and Mahatma Gandhi University was placed 11th. Additionally, Calicut University ranked 43rd in the same category. The top three ranks were secured by Chennai’s Anna University, Jadavpur University in West Bengal, and Savitribai Phule Pune University in Maharashtra.
In the overall list of higher education institutions, including private universities, IITs, and IIMs, the University of Kerala was ranked 38th, CUSAT 51st, and Mahatma Gandhi University 67th. In the rankings specifically for universities, the University of Kerala secured the 21st rank, CUSAT 34th, Mahatma Gandhi University 37th, and Calicut University 89th. Additionally, 16 colleges from Kerala, including four government colleges, made it to the top 100 best colleges list. These include University College, Thiruvananthapuram, Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam, Women’s College, Thiruvananthapuram, and Government Victoria College, Palakkad. Of the 300 colleges included in the rankings, 71 are from Kerala, with 16 being government colleges. The National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS) secured the 38th rank in the law category.
Maintaining Excellence in Higher Education
Kerala has maintained its excellence in the NIRF rankings, according to Minister R. Bindu. The higher education sector in Kerala is progressing through the development of infrastructure and the enhancement of academic standards. The state government is prioritizing higher education, Minister R. Bindu added.
The achievements in Kerala’s higher education sector are a recognition of the government’s efforts to replicate the success seen in the state’s public education sector. The latest example of this is the outstanding performance in the NIRF rankings.
At the University of Kerala, even the Vice-Chancellor was targeted by the Chancellor’s political interference. The aim was to weaken higher education institutions to gain political advantage. However, the University of Kerala responded by securing the 9th rank in the NIRF rankings. Despite all adverse circumstances, the Higher Education Department has undertaken the challenging task of guiding universities towards excellence. Along with academic excellence, physical infrastructure was also improved, and these interventions have empowered Kerala’s higher education institutions to stand tall with pride.
