Latest news with #HEIs
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
54 institutions from India make it to QS World University rankings, IIT Delhi highest at 123rd spot
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has lauded the performance of Indian educational institutions in the World University 2026 Rankings, which were made public on Thursday. In a post on X, the PM said, 'The QS World University Rankings bring great news for our education sector. Our government is committed to furthering research and innovation ecosystems for the benefit of India's youth.' India is the fourth most represented in the list with only the United States, United Kingdom and China surpassing it, said an official release from the PIB. A total of 54 Higher Educational Institutes (HEIs) from India featured in the rankings with IIT Delhi emerging as the country's top-ranked institute by securing the 123rd position. Twelve IITs have made it to the ranking list. Compiled by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), the internationally recognised ranking system compares HEIs worldwide on an annual basis. Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in a statement said, 'From just 11 universities in 2014 to 54 in the latest rankings, this five-fold jump is a testament to the transformative educational reforms ushered by PM Narendra Modiji's government in the last decade. National Education Policy 2020 is not just changing our educational landscape, it is revolutionising it.
The Wire
10-06-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
An MoU Cancelled Is an Opportunity Lost
Menu हिंदी తెలుగు اردو Home Politics Economy World Security Law Science Society Culture Editor's Pick Opinion Support independent journalism. Donate Now Politics An MoU Cancelled Is an Opportunity Lost D.V. Ramana 13 minutes ago When higher educational institutions disengage from international collaboration due to short-term political conflicts, they abandon their capacity for building relationships that transcend politics. Illustration: Pariplab Chakraborty. Real journalism holds power accountable Since 2015, The Wire has done just that. But we can continue only with your support. Contribute now In a recent move, one of India's top management institutes announced it was terminating its academic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Turkey's Sabancı University. The Indian Institute of Management-Kozhikode's director claimed the decision was in line with 'national interest,' emphasising values such as 'mutual respect, strategic alignment, and shared national values.' Though the decision aligned with overall mood of the country, it also raised critical questions about the role of higher education institutions (HEIs) in times of political unease in the country over incidents like the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam. Should academic institutions echo state policies, or should they operate as independent spaces for intellectual exchange and global cooperation? Education has always been seen as a powerful force for change. Several global leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela viewed higher educational institutions not as learning but as organisations playing a important role in shaping society and promoting peace. After World War II, HEIs played an important role in maintaining international ties and contributing to global advancement. HEIs are expected to work with a long-term perspective. They are expected to preserve the academic community, support national strength, and create a future through knowledge and wisdom. When HEIs begin to align too closely with short political decisions, they risk compromising their integrity and international standing. The recent decision of the management institute to follow the government may diminish its role as a moral and intellectual leader. Academic Freedom and National Security During global conflicts, national security is a legitimate concern. During war-like conditions governments may view relations with institutions in adversarial countries as risky or politically unsuitable. However, academic MoUs should be evaluated on their specific merits rather than being discarded wholesale. HEIs should assess whether specific collaborations pose actual risks to security or whether they provide genuine academic value. In many cases, political differences at the state level need not translate into academic seclusion. Continuing such relationships – even during conflict – can foster shared knowledge and cultural exchange, acting as channels for mutual understanding and positive diplomatic relationship in the long run. Even during the Cold War, American and Soviet scholars continued to connect through academic programmes. These exchanges served as informal diplomatic channels, promoting mutual understanding even when formal relations were troubled. When HEIs disengage from international collaboration due to short-term political conflicts, they abandon their capacity for building relationships that transcend politics. The decision by this premier management institute, to end its MoU with an international university, ignores the rich tradition of academic diplomacy. HEIs as agents of peace and dialogue Global conflicts may arise due to ideological, economic, or security reasons such as cross-border terrorism. Conflict resolution strategies, therefore, must be diverse and appropriately tailored. As Albert Einstein said, 'The significant problems we face today cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.' HEIs can lead this transformation through teaching, research, dialogue facilitation, and public engagement. Therefore, the cancellation of international MoUs sends a confusing signal to the public at large. The management institute should have kept the relationship alive to play its role as a facilitator of dialogue and innovation. As Leo Tolstoy said, 'War is a product of an erroneous way of thinking… and can only be abolished by a better understanding of human nature.' Such understanding does not emerge in silence or conformity. It is developed in classrooms, research collaborations, and intellectual discourse. HEIs are expected to provide such spaces. In fact, several HEIs have taken such steps in the past. A notable example is the University of Oslo and the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), which have a strategic agreement to emerge as a global powerhouse for knowledge on the prevention and resolution of armed conflicts. Drifting away from institutional mission Let me conclude by referring to the mission statement of IIM Kozhikode. It says, 'The Institute seeks to inculcate a spirit of wholesome learning and create a unique space of global reckoning, thereby nurturing capable and dependable management thinkers in the pursuit of developing socially responsible and environmentally friendly practitioners, leaders, and educators who will contribute towards creating a better world.' This mission underscores the broader responsibility that an institute must shoulder. It must not merely react to short-term national policies but must proactively shape a more equitable and sustainable future. The mission statement echoes strongly with the idea that HEIs must transcend national boundaries and foster global cooperation, especially in times of global conflicts that we are witnessing today. By disconnecting from a foreign academic partner, the premier management institute seems to have drifted away from its stated commitment to global engagement and knowledge exchange. D.V. Ramana is professor, Xavier Institute of Management, XIM University, Bhubaneswar. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments. 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India Today
09-06-2025
- General
- India Today
IGNOU opens registration for July 2025 session. Check how to apply now
IGNOU ODL July 2025 registration has started for online and distance learning programmes. Interested candidates can apply through the official website at before the last date, July 15, those targeting online courses exclusively, the sign-up needs to be done at Applications are welcome for both distance and online modes. Moreover, there's an opportunity to tap into scholarships through the National Scholarship Portal at a significant update, IGNOU mandates creating a DEB ID before applying. This Distance Education Bureau ID is crucial for aligning students with Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) under the University Grants Commission's watch. The official notice states plainly, "The DEB ID is mandatory for submission of the application. Please create your DEB ID before starting the application process." This measure aims to ensure student registrations align with regulatory REGISTRATION 2025: HOW TO APPLYStart by creating an Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) IDVisit the official portal for DEB ID registrationEnter required details such as email address and mobile numberSubmit the form to generate your DEB ID successfullyIf hurdles arise during registration, candidates should reach out to the nearest IGNOU Regional or Study Centre. Alternatively, the university's helplines are at their service to streamline the IGNOU has published admit cards for the June 2025 Term-End Examination (TEE). Registered examinees can obtain their hall tickets through or who have completed both their registration and exam form submissions can access the IGNOU TEE 2025 admit card and sit for the exams as scheduled.
New Indian Express
07-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
TANSCHE to unveil first-ever model policy for academic and administrative audit of HEIs in TN
The policy will require the HEIs to ensure if they have appropriate student support systems on the campus, if adequate actions are being taken to ensure safety of students, measures taken for their mental well-being, and mechanisms in place to address grievances received from students of any kind. 'The policy is designed to enhance transparency, administrative efficiency and academic performance and it applies to all HEIs in TN, however, state-run institutions will be our priority,' said MP Vijayakumar, vice-chairman of TANSCHE. Notably, the TANSCHE had recently released a draft model policy on technology usage in HEIs, which promotes digitisation of all services and facilities available in institutions. According to higher education department officials, TANSCHE is working on 12 such policies like policy on outcome-based education, infrastructure and equipment maintenance, among others, to improve the quality of HEIs and ensure accountability. The remaining 10 policies will be released in the next few months. Sources said TN also plans to link the release of a certain percentage of monetary grants to the HEIs on the basis of their adherence to these policies. The adherence to the policies will also be taken into account during the State Institutional Ranking Framework (SIRF) ranking.
Indian Express
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
When Gandhi meets Ambedkar: How higher education institutions can change our villages
Also written by Virendra Kumar Vijay and Vivek Kumar 'True India lies in its seven lakh villages,' Mahatma Gandhi once declared, envisioning Gram Swaraj — self-reliant, self-governed village republics — as the foundation of Indian democracy. In sharp contrast, B R Ambedkar, speaking in the Constituent Assembly, fiercely rejected such idealisation: 'What is the village,' he remarked, 'but a sink of localism, a den of ignorance, narrow-mindedness and communalism?' For Gandhi, the village was the crucible of true independence; for Ambedkar, it was a site of deeply entrenched caste oppression. These two conflicting yet coexisting truths have long shaped India's rural imagination. It is within this contested terrain that the idea of Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA) took root, not as a top-down policy directive, but as a determined initiative by the faculty at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD), committed to sustainable rural development and the use of appropriate technology. A shared vision What began as a campus conversation gradually evolved into a national movement — shaped by higher education institutions, grassroots organisations, educators, practitioners, policymakers, and Union ministries of education and rural development, among others. The objective was to empower rural India through meaningful partnerships between Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and villages. It also offered academia an opportunity to learn from the lived wisdom, resilience, and practices of rural communities — a symbiotic relationship nurturing both the village and the university. The Unnat Bharat Abhiyan was officially launched in November 2014 by the Ministry of Education. Coordinated by IIT Delhi, it encourages HEIs, designated as Participating Institutes (PIs), to engage with at least five villages each. To support this, a national ecosystem of 14 Subject Expert Groups and 50 Regional Coordinating Institutes provides technical guidance, mentorship, and capacity-building for impactful, sustainable, and context-specific interventions. In its early years, UBA selectively invited HEIs to join the initiative. By 2014–15, 170 PIs were working with 800 villages. The network grew rapidly. By 2017–18, 1,771 institutions engaged 7,893 villages. In April 2018, the programme was opened to all HEIs, significantly expanding its scale, reach, and impact. As of May 2025, 4,183 institutions are working with 19,783 villages across 35 states and union territories. To deepen impact, UBA has forged 18 strategic partnerships with key ministries — such as Panchayati Raj, Rural Development, and Tribal Affairs — and institutions including the National Cooperative Union of India, the Tribal Co-operative Marketing Development Federation of India, the North East Centre for Technology Application and Reach, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, and the Rural Technology Action Group, among others. Transforming villages The HEIs are working closely with gram sabhas, elected representatives, district officials, and governments. The goal is to partner actively in shaping Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDP) and driving meaningful change from the ground up. Their work spans a wide spectrum — from promoting sustainable agriculture and clean energy to enhancing rural livelihoods, improving water and waste management, and facilitating effective implementation of government schemes, and more. The HEIs also help build skills, foster entrepreneurship, support startups, and expand digital literacy across villages. A quiet transformation is unfolding across India, delivering real, measurable change at the grassroots. For instance, in Haridwar's Gaindikhata cluster, IIT Delhi introduced lemongrass cultivation and set up an oil extraction unit, helping farmers earn Rs 8,000–10,000 per month during harvest. In Manipur, the NIT developed a low-cost water purifier providing clean drinking water to over 2,000 villagers previously reliant on a contaminated pond. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand's Chene village, a quiet revival is underway. With support from Jharkhand Rai University, the community has returned to millet farming and established a seed bank to preserve indigenous varieties and ensure long-term food security. Such collaborative, community-driven initiatives blend scientific innovation with local wisdom, proving that real change grows from the ground up. What sets the UBA apart is its emphasis on Village Adhyayan (village study) through Participatory Learning and Action, a people-first, bottom-up way to understand and engage communities. The UBA envisions a shift in how development is practised: Not by imposing top-down solutions, but by listening to and building on the needs and aspirations of rural people themselves. Its core belief is simple yet powerful. Development must serve the people, not sideline or marginalise them. Transforming higher education Through sustained, meaningful engagement, the UBA is redefining higher education's role in India. The programme urges academia to move beyond classrooms and labs, engaging directly with rural life through grounded, empathetic, and socially relevant research. The UBA aims to foster stronger, self-reliant communities while nurturing scholars attuned to rural realities and aspirations. Here, the village is not merely a site for fieldwork or theoretical inquiry; it becomes a dynamic space for collaborative, action-oriented research, where knowledge and solutions are co-created through active community participation. Rural knowledge, lived experiences, and community priorities are no longer peripheral; they actively shape learning, research, and knowledge production within institutions. In its first decade, the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan has made important strides. But much more remains to harness India's vast academic network — over 1,000 universities and more than 42,000 colleges — to engage meaningfully with rural India, where two-thirds of the population lives across more than six lakh villages. Bridging the rural–urban divide demands sustained, equal partnerships between universities and communities. In its second decade, the UBA aims to rapidly expand its reach, especially in remote areas. Only then can we build rural futures rooted in Gandhian self-reliance and Ambedkar's vision of justice and dignity for all. The writers teach at the Centre for Rural Development and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, and coordinate the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan
