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India's higher education system is undergoing a transformative phase, set to reach new heights. Many universities and colleges are now actively developing policies to enhance collaboration with other technical institutes, and their goal is to strengthen the research ecosystem across the country.
The Ministry of Education (MoE) is also formulating several strategic initiatives to provide a boost to these higher education institutions (HEIs). The aim is to attract and cultivate the brightest minds in the country. Moreover, these reforms are a fundamental shift towards a more equitable, accessible, and quality-driven education system.
One such initiative is the 'Institutions of Eminence', initiated in the year 2017 by the Ministry of Education and granted to a few institutions that have set high standards and have achieved phenomenal results over the years when it came to criteria such as excellent research facilities, highly qualified faculty, a global outreach amongst others.
While institutions such as the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, IIT Delhi, and Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore, were accorded the status amongst the category of public institutions, private institutions were not far behind. Birla Institute of Science and Technology (BITS), Pilani, OP Jindal Global University, and Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) also carved a place for themselves, spearheading the category.
The UGC has set several lists of criteria that these institutions have to adhere to for them to retain their status. As per their website, this is the list of institutions that currently hold the status:
Public institutions:
Granted status in 2018
1) IISc Bangalore
2) IIT Delhi
3) IIT Bombay
Granted status in 2020
4) IIT Madras
5) IIT Kharagpur
6) University of Delhi (DU)
7) University of Hyderabad (UoH)
8) Banaras Hindu University (BHU)
Private universities
Granted status in 2020
1) BITS Pilani
2) Manipal Academy of Higher Education
3) OP Jindal Global University
4) Shiv Nadar (Institution of Eminence deemed to be University)
While a few of these institutions have also featured in the country's top 100 educational institutions in the recently released National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2024 rankings, here is what an Assistant Professor from the University of Delhi, Sachin Pandey, aptly pointed out.
Via his tweet on social media platform X, Pandey highlighted that except for IISc Bangalore and Manipal Academy of Higher Education, none of the IoEs have been able to fulfil an important criterion of achieving the faculty-student ratio of 1:10.
As per the condition, "The faculty-student ratio should be not be less than 1:20 at the time of notification issued declaring an lnstitution as an 'lnstitution of Eminence' and should increase over time so as not to be less than 1:10 after five years of this date."
Institutes such as IISc Bangalore, IIT Delhi, and IIT Bombay have come under scrutiny since they are the only institutions that have completed five years since they were granted the IoE status.
As per NIRF Ranking 2024, their faculty-student ratio stands as thus:
IISc Bengaluru
Total students = 3501
Total teachers = 476
Ratio = 1.7
IIT Delhi
Total students = 11875
Total faculty = 687
Ratio = 1:17
IIT Bombay
Total students = 12511
Total Faculty = 759
Ratio = 1:16
Amongst these institutions, it can be definitively deduced that IISc Bangalore is the only institution that could achieve the target.
The rest of the public-funded institutions, which will be liable to meet the target by 2025, are as follows:
IIT Madras
Total students = 10163
Total faculty = 674
Ratio = 1:15
IIT Kharagpur
Total students = 15762
Total faculty = 928
Ratio = 1:17
Delhi University
Total students = 26396
Total faculty = 1402
Ratio = 1:19
Hyderabad Central University
Total students = 5262
Total faculty = 412
Ratio = 1:12
Banaras Hindu University
Total students = 32587
Total faculty = 1829
Ratio = 1:18
While hiring faculty poses various challenges for public institutions, such as that of reservation, and, sometimes, scarcity of funding, Sachin Pandey asserts that maintaining a good student-faculty ratio is the hallmark of a good institution.
"The hiring criteria are quite stringent, and of course, they exist for a reason, but if the institute aims to increase the student intake, they should also devise systematic plans to maintain an equilibrium between teacher and student ratio. An imbalance is not what is expected from these IoEs," he says.
A former All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) official, on the condition of anonymity, spoke to EdexLive on the necessity of having a healthy student-teacher ratio. Citing old traditions of "Guru-Shishya Parampara", the official stated that in order to ensure a student's excellence, this ratio needs to be maintained.
"If we look into the Guru-Shishya Parampara of the olden times, we can understand the essence of the bond between a teacher and a student. For a student to prosper in life, not only academically, but to be guided all along their life, it is quite necessary for these institutions to maintain the ratio."
Additionally, the official stated that this could be a potential solution for research-intensive universities. Students need consistent guidance throughout their studies, as a lack of proper mentorship may lead to major setbacks in their careers.
"For institutions such as the IISc, and the IITs, it is imperative that they provide the very best for the student. If they miss the mark, they might be susceptible to harming their own reputation, along with the low output which might eventually lead them to produce. Hence, they need to make sure that there are no such grey areas when it comes to this."
Can it be difficult?
While the process of hiring faculty members can be termed as an extremely rigorous process, Pandey mentioned that reservations and cuts in funding also deter the process in public HEIs.
The hiring, as stated by the AICTE official, as well, is an "intense and not so straightforward" process.
The process which usually requires a thorough academic background check on the individuals, goes through several approvals by committees and bodies, involving a lot of diligent paperwork.
"These HEIs ensure quality over quantity, and recruitment of faculty is not easy. For HEIs, an individual must possess several qualifications and demonstrate that they can support prospects of research in an institution and guide students as and when needed. The process cannot be concluded over a week or two. It usually takes months."
In addition to this, the AICTE official highlighted that an institution also needs to be mindful of the time factor.
Further, to maintain an equitable demography of professors, the HEIs need to hire faculty who are more attuned to the rapidly developing changes in the necessary fields. This may add more stringency to the hiring process, thereby, resulting in further delays.
Although, several factors may deter the process for public institutions, Sachin Pandey emphasises another point.
"But when it comes to autonomous private institutions, why have only two out of four institutions been able to reach the mark?" enquired Sachin Pandey.
Listed below is the student-faculty ratio of the private institutions which EdexLive was not able to independently verify.
BITS Pilani
Total students = 15961
Total faculty = 979
Ratio = 1:17
Manipal Academy of Higher Education
Total students = 16077
Total faculty = 2854
Ratio = 1:6
OP Jindal Global University
Ratio = 1:9
Shiv Nadar Institute of Eminence Deemed-to-be University
Total students = 3144
Faculty = 273
Ratio = 1:12
While these universities have not achieved the ratio, they enjoy a good academic reputation in the country, yet Pandey raises a discrepancy.
"These private institutions are not bound by the rules and regulations which public universities need to adhere to. One may question their inability to fulfil the crucial criteria of maintaining the student-faculty ratio, but what is the ground reality?" he questioned.
UGC Chairman responds
While educators and academicians question the system's effectiveness, EdexLive contacted the University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman M Jagadesh Kumar for his thoughts on the various concerns they raised.
The UGC Chief pointed out that the Ministry of Education conferred the status of Institution of Eminence (IoE) based on the Empowered Expert Committee's (EEC) recommendations. This recognition underscores their commitment to excellence and ability to meet rigorous criteria set forth by the EEC.
He also pointed out the notable progress in their performance evident given their presence in the global university rankings. "The rise in their rankings reflects their ongoing measures to enhance academic standards, foster innovation, and contribute significantly to research and knowledge dissemination. They are steadily setting themselves as leaders in higher education on the global stage," he shared.
But when it comes to the student-teacher ratio, he explains that the UGC is actively engaged with HEIs to address the faculty vacancy situation urgently.
"Further, UGC is proactively working with HEIs to quickly fill vacant positions and sustain an optimal student-teacher ratio that helps student learning and academic excellence," he says.
But could failing to achieve a 1:10 student-faculty ratio within the next two to three academic years cause significant problems, we wonder.
"The student-teacher ratio at institutions under the Institution of Eminence (IoE) scheme is dynamic and responsive to the growing needs of both students and faculty. Also, the faculty recruitment process at IoEs is structured to draw and retain people with excellent academic and professional credentials," he says.
He reminds us that in alignment with the IoE scheme's vision, these institutions invest mainly in infrastructural resources to support high-impact research.
"This aligns with the IoE scheme's broader goals to elevate these institutions' global standing. The measures taken by IoEs to balance the student-teacher ratio, recruit distinguished faculty, and invest in high-quality infrastructure indicate their commitment to excellence in education and research," he elaborates.
It may be noted, as the UGC chief points out, that the review of the functioning of IoEs does not fall directly under the purview of the UGC. However, the MoE does ensure that the IoEs effectively utilise the resources allocated to them.
"The Ministry of Education assesses how IoEs are deploying the funds to create cutting-edge research facilities to foster an environment of academic excellence. This comprises the development of state-of-the-art laboratories, the purchase of advanced instrumentation and equipment, and the establishment of interdisciplinary research centres," he says. Such efforts, the UGC chairman, advance research quality and attract top-tier faculty and scholars, further contributing to the institutions' reputation and impact.
