CHENNAI : Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) continues to retain the top honours in Indian Higher Education. The premier technical institute has, once again, swept the top honours in National Institutional Rankings Framework (NIRF) rankings of the Ministry of Education, Government of India.
Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Hon’ble Minister of State for External Affairs and Education, Government of India, announced the results of eight edition of NIRF India Ranking Results today (5th June 2023) in New Delhi and gave away the prizes.
In a feat without precedence in Indian Higher Education, IIT Madras held on its No. 1 ranking in the ‘Overall’ category for the Fifth Consecutive Year and in ‘Engineering’ Category for the Eight Consecutive Year, right from the first edition of the Rankings in 2016.
In the ‘Research Institutions’ category, IIT Madras was Ranked #2, retaining last year’s position. IIT Madras was ranked #2 in ‘Innovations’ category (previously known as Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements).
Congratulating all the Institutes that took part in the NIRF 2023, Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Hon’ble Minister of State for External Affairs and Education, Government of India, said, “NIRF Rankings have helped students in selecting the Institutes among Higher Education Institutes in country. It also helps the Institute to identify the area of improvement in teaching, research, resources and other aspects. This initiative has foster a culture of data organisation and curation of among participating Institutes promoting healthy competition.”
Further, Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh said, “Institutes such as IITs, IIM, NITs, IIITs are doing well in India ranking in 2023. It is also heartening to see the rankings are pointing the evolution of private universities. I congratulate the Institutes which have done well and would like to encourage the other Institutes to achieve well in forth coming edition of NIRF rankings.”
The awards were received by Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, in person, who was accompanied by Prof. R.G. Robinson, Dean (Administration), IIT Madras, Prof. Prathap Haridoss, Dean (Academic Courses), IIT Madras and M. Thenmozhi, Head, Department of Management Studies, IIT Madras, at the event.
Congratulating all the stakeholders, from students to faculty and non-teaching staff for their hard work that has resulted in such extraordinary performance, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “It gives me immense joy to share that IIT Madras has yet again emerged as a topper in the Overall and Engineering categories of the National Institute Rankings Framework 2023 conducted by the Union Ministry of Education. This is just a reinforcement of our efforts to be recognised as a global leader in research and education and it gives me pride that we are on track on the Strategic Plan outlined for IIT Madras.”
Prof. V. Kamakoti added, “All this has been made possible by the tireless efforts of the outstanding quality of faculty and students of the institute, staff who have contributed significantly to the institute’s continuous progress, and unwavering support from our alumni across the world. I also thank the Ministry of Education, Government of India and the Tamil Nadu State Government who have reposed their trust in us. We look forward to being of service to the community and the nation.”
Further, Prof. V. Kamakoti said, “We will continue to take all necessary action to make IIT Madras a locally relevant and globally recognised institute.”
IIT Madras has also been recognized as an ‘Institution of Eminence’ (IoE) in September 2019 by the Government of India. As an Institute of Eminence, IIT Madras has recently launched 15 Centres of Excellence for undertaking cutting-edge research in next-generation technologies such as Construction, Healthcare and Assistive Technologies, Marine sector, Sports, Cancer Genomics, and Energy, to mention some.
IIT Madras has made quantum leaps in recent years. In a major initiative towards ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ in medical technologies, the Institute recently launched the Department of Medical Sciences and Technology, which will be offering four programmes including a first-of-its-kind BS in Medical Sciences and Engineering to begin with.
The programmes offered by the Department will train physicians to effectively apply technology in their clinical practice, and will lay the foundation for physician-scientists’ training in India.
In keeping with the ‘IIT Madras for All’ vision of Prof. V. Kamakoti, IIT Madras has launched several initiatives including the B.Sc. degree in Electronics in the country that provides no age bar and multiple exit options and is open to students across India. It will also help the nation achieve its goals under India Semiconductor Mission. Further, under this initiative, a total of 87 Government School students across more than 20 districts in Tamil Nadu have received admissions for the BS Degree in Data Science and Applications, a four-year course that was first introduced by IIT Madras in 2021 with the aim of making the Institute’s quality education accessible to all.
Started in 2015, NIRF outlines a methodology to rank educational institutions across the country. The parameters used for ranking broadly cover “Teaching, Learning and Resources,” “Research and Professional Practices,” “Graduation Outcome,” “Outreach and Inclusivity,” and “Perception.”