NIRF 2020: From 35 in 2019, Tamil Nadu now only has 32 of top 100 arts, science colleges in India. Full list inside

While IIT Madras took the top spot in the overall category of the National Institute Ranking Framework (NIRF) ranking announced on Thursday, among colleges Tamil Nadu alone has one-third of the top 100 humanities, arts and science colleges in India. In the 2019 ranking, there were 35 colleges from the state while this year 32 colleges are in the list out of a total of 100 colleges.

Among the list, there are colleges in TN that have secured significantly better ranks this year while some have also taken a hit. PSGR Krishnammal College for Women in Coimbatore has secured rank 10, improving from rank 22 last year. Similarly, the Madras School of Social Work in Chennai has improved its rank drastically, acquiring rank 33 in the list this year from rank 65 in 2019. Lady Doak College in Madurai also followed a similar streak by ranking 52 in the list this year as compared to rank 79 last year.

While it's all good news for the colleges mentioned above, Ethiraj College for Women seems to have taken a huge hit by falling 10 points in the list this year — rank 46 compared to rank 36 in 2019. Similarly, the other college that has ranked lower on the list year as compared to its 2019 rank is the Kongunadu Arts & Science College in Coimbatore — rank 51 in 2019, rank 70 in 2020.

Among colleges, top three spots have been taken over by Delhi University colleges. Miranda House, Lady Shri Ram College, and Hindu College have been ranked first, second, and third among colleges respectively.

Union Minister of Human Resource Development Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' announced NIRF Indian Rankings for Indian institutes on Thursday through an online address. The ranks which were scheduled to be announced in April were delayed due to COVID-19 crisis. IITs across the country have again scored big in the list with IIT Madras emerging as the best in the overall category. IIT Madras has also secured the top place in the engineering category.

NIRF rankings were launched in 2015 and the first-ever ranks were announced in 2016. Since the first rankings, the number of categories has increased from four to nine. This is the first NIRF ranking that was announced under the leadership of HRD Minister Pokhriyal. In the e-launch of NIRF ranking on Wednesday, UGC Chairmain Dhirendra Pal Singh, AICTE Chairman Anil Sahasrabudhe were also present along with other officials.

The number of Indian institutes which registered for the NIRF ranking this year has increased from 20 per cent as compared to the number last year. This year for the first time dental institutes were also ranked. Earlier, Institutes were ranked in multiple categories including – best overall institute, best university, top engineering institute, top college, best management institute, top pharmacy college, best law school, best architecture college, and top medical college. The education institutes and universities all over India are ranked across several parameters including teaching, learning and resources, research and professional practices, graduation outcome outreach and inclusivity, and perception.

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