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NIRF 2020: Panjab University slips to 44th rank among country’s educational institutions
In pharmacy category, Panjab University, Chandigarh, retains second spot followed by National Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, Mohali; PGIMER ranked second among medical colleges, while Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, improves ranking among engineering institutes
Panjab University slipped 10 notches to rank 44 among educational institutions in the country in the Union human resource development ministry’s National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) announced on Thursday.
From rank 34 last year, PU is now ranked 44th. Among universities, PU’s ranking slipped from 21 in 2019 to 26 this year.
The top three universities are IISc Bangalore, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Banaras Hindu University.
In the very first NIRF rankings released in 2016, PU was ranked 12 among all universities in the country.
This year, PU’s score in teaching, learning and resources,which include its total student strength, faculty-student ratio and financial resources, dropped to 50.08 from 51.09 in 2019.
It scored lower in research and professional practice as well with a 42.83 score against last year’s 44.82. This parameter includes the varsity’s patents both published and granted, combined metric for publication and footprints of projects.
Besides, its score decreased in graduation outcome; outreach and inclusivity, and perception as well.
Graduation outcome includes metric for university exams and number of PhD students graduated. Outreach and inclusivity includes percentage of students from other states and countries; woman students, economically and socially challenged students and facilities for disabled students.
SOME SILVER LINING
The university’s pharmacy department retained the second rank this year also.
“In the pharmacy category, the top institute is Jamia Hamdard in Delhi followed by Panjab University, Chandigarh. The National Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, Mohali, stood third,” Union HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank announced.
Also, for the first time, PU ranked 15th among the law institutions of the country.
In the medical colleges category, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, got the top spot followed by Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, and Christian Medical College, Vellore.
In management, PU improved its rank from 48 in 2019 to 42 this year. Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad, ranked as the top B-School in the country followed by IIM, Bangalore and Calcutta.
POOR SHOW IN ENGINEERING
In engineering, PU slipped from rank 54 last year to 72. Punjab Engineering College (PEC), Chandigarh, deemed to be university, however, improved from rank 78 in 2019 to 68 this year among the engineering institutes of the country.
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay bagged the top three positions in this category.
“NIRF is an important ranking for us. PU has performed well in pharmacy, law, management and dental rankings this year. Law department has secured 15th rank after no position last year, which is commendable. The university has slipped in the engineering discipline, but we are looking into the reasons and are hopeful to improve next year,” said Ashish Jain, director of PU’s internal quality assurance cell.
The annual rankings are usually announced in April but had to be postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic this time.
