By Moa Jamir
Released over two months later than usual, the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) India Rankings, published by the Union Ministry of Education on August 12, bring both good and bad news for the state of Nagaland. Launched on September 29, 2015, the NIRF outlines a methodology to rank institutions across the country, covering parameters such as “Teaching, Learning and Resources,” “Research and Professional Practices,” “Graduation Outcomes,” “Outreach and Inclusivity,” and “Perception”.
On a positive note, two educational institutions in Nagaland have shown improvement. However, this progress is overshadowed by the stagnation of the state's sole central university, Nagaland University
The ranking of Patkai Christian College (Autonomous) is particularly encouraging, having achieved a milestone in 2023 as the first college from Nagaland to be ranked among the top 200 colleges in India. In the NIRF 2024, the college’s performance improved further, placing it in the 101-150 rank band, thereby making it one of the top 150 colleges in India.
The NIRF ranks the top 100 institutes chronologically from 1 to 100, while colleges or institutions are grouped into rank bands thereafter. According to the NIRF portal, a total of 3,371 colleges in India participated in this category. In its Golden Jubilee year, this improved ranking marks another national achievement for Patkai, following its selection under the Star College Scheme by the Department of Biotechnology, Union Ministry of Science & Technology.
Another welcome development is the inclusion of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Nagaland in the 151-200 rank band for 2024 after floundering for some years in the engineering category. The state’s lone 'Institute of National Importance' first achieved this feat in 2017, but its ranking had declined thereafter. Most NITs, including those in the North-East region, feature annually in the top 200 list in the engineering category.
However, the performance of Nagaland University (NU), the state’s sole central university, continues to be concerning. For two consecutive years, it has failed to feature in the top 200 in the university category. NU’s ranking has been slipping since its best performance in 2018 when it reached the top 100 at 95. The following year, it declined to the 101-150 rank band, a position it retained in 2020. The performance further slid to the 151-200 band in 2021 and 2022. Evidently, the situation has deteriorated further, with NU falling outside the top 200 universities in India for two consecutive years – 2023 and 2024.
While the delay in the release of the NIRF 2024 and its ranking methodology has raised various concerns in recent years, NU’s poor ranking, even within these parameters, indicates a need for significant improvement. It demands a redrawing of strategies to rediscover its academic credentials.
Meanwhile, the participation from educational institutions in Nagaland remained the same as last year at ten. More institutions in Nagaland must be encouraged to compete with their national peers. Increased participation could potentially lead to more institutions ranking in the top bracket. It must be noted that an institution is only as good as its latest ranking. Therefore, complacency should be avoided, and continuous efforts must be made to enhance performances.
Overall, educational institutions in Nagaland need to ramp up their game to be counted among the best in India. The NIRF rankings serve as both a benchmark and a challenge, urging institutions to strive for excellence and better prepare their students for the future.
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