The recent release of the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Asia University Rankings: Asia 2024 has included 148 universities from India, among a comprehensive list of 856 institutions across Asia. This listing, produced by the global higher education think-tank, Quacquarelli Symonds, assesses and ranks these universities based on a variety of evaluation criteria.
Understanding QS World University Rankings
Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) annually releases the QS World University Rankings. This evaluation process measures the performance and quality of universities globally. Various indicators are considered in this methodology including academic reputation, faculty-student ratio, employer reputation, sustainability, employment outcomes, international research network, citations per faculty, international faculty ratio, and international student ratio. Additionally, the QS Rankings accounts for a university’s standing by subject, region, student city, business school, and sustainability.
Key Highlights of the QS World University Rankings: Asia 2024
According to the 2024 rankings, Peking University (China) leads the pack, with the University of Hong Kong and the National University of Singapore following closely behind. In terms of Indian Universities’ performances, IIT Bombay remains at the forefront within the country, ranking 40th in Asia. Seven Indian institutions found their place among Asia’s top 100, including five Indian Institutes of Technology, the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, and Delhi University.
India’s Global Impact in Higher Education
These rankings reflect the growing influence of Indian universities in the international landscape, demonstrating the expansion of India’s higher education environment and its significant contributions to global research. Notably, India has outperformed China in featuring a more considerable number of universities in the 2024 rankings, marking a substantial increase from the previous year.
India’s Strengths and Challenges in the Education Sector
While India excels in research output and faculty qualifications (PhD holders), it scores below the regional average for academic and employer reputation. However, India’s research output has seen a remarkable increase; exhibiting a 60% growth from 2018 to 2022, more than twice the global average.
Indian Initiatives Aimed at Enhancing Education and Research
Various initiatives have been launched by the Indian government to promote education and research. The Institutions of Eminence (IoE) Scheme aims to develop or upgrade 20 institutions (10 each from the public and private sector) into world-class teaching and research centers.
The National Education Policy, 2020, seeks to introduce extensive changes, from the school to college level, with the goal of establishing India as a global knowledge superpower.
Other pioneering programs include IMPRINT, a unique joint initiative by Pan-IIT and IISc, aimed at developing a new education policy and a roadmap for research to address significant engineering and technology challenges in India. The Uchhatar Avishkar Yojana (UAY) was launched to promote higher-level innovation that directly affects the needs of the industry and improves India’s competitive edge in manufacturing.
