In an era of global connectivity and ever-evolving knowledge, the traditional approach of ranking universities solely based on predetermined metrics is proving increasingly inadequate. While university rankings have long been regarded as a benchmark of academic excellence, it is essential to recognize their limitations as students, parents, educators, and policymakers.

It is crucial to critically examine the system of rankings and consider why we should embrace a more nuanced approach that moves beyond their rigid framework.

Here are a few reasons why we need to rethink rankings

• Narrow Focus


Traditional rankings often prioritize research output, faculty qualifications, and infrastructure, overlooking other essential factors such as teaching quality, student engagement, and practical skills development.

• Standardized Metrics


Rankings tend to rely on standardized metrics that may not adequately capture the unique strengths and contributions of diverse Indian institutions. The vast cultural, linguistic, and regional variations across India’s universities make it challenging to homogenize their performance based on a limited set of criteria.

• Lack of Advertising Budget


Many popular universities have become so by investing huge capital on advertising and promotions. Good universities that have tight budget don’t have the privilege to do that, losing out to the deep-pocketed institutes.

• Exclusion of Specialized Institutions


Rankings primarily favour comprehensive universities, side-lining specialized institutions that excel in specific disciplines. This limits the scope of educational opportunities available to students.

• Inequitable Impact


Rankings often perpetuate a cycle of privilege, favouring institutions with substantial resources, legacy, and urban locations. This exacerbates various inequalities including the rural-urban divide in India and hinders the development of promising institutions that may be situated in remote areas or serve marginalized communities.

These limitations lead to many deserving students and institutes missing each other and settling for lesser beneficial options. Acknowledging the limitations of university rankings can lead to a more inclusive, progressive, and fair higher education landscape. This paradigm shift will not only benefit students but also empower universities to evolve into centres of excellence, innovation, and transformative societal change.

In our next webinar from the Education for Life webinar series, we are exploring this topic at a greater depth. Join us for the webinar Beyond the Numbers: Exploring the Impact of University Rankings on Academic Excellence and Relevance with Prof. R. S. Verma and Prof. Puneet Sharma. Urging all students, parents, educators, university leaders, and policymakers to register now!

We’ll see you on Friday, 30 June, 2023 at 5:00 PM IST.

Moderated by

Prof. Puneet Sharma

Anchor – DD National
Technical Educational Expert
Registrar & Dean Academics – Rajadhani Engineering College, Jaipur