IIT Madras Sweeps Top Positions In NIRF Rankings: An Analysis
Chennai, August 12, 2024: In an unprecedented achievement, the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has once again demonstrated its supremacy in Indian higher education by securing the top position in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2024. The institution retained its No. 1 ranking in the ‘Overall’ category for the sixth consecutive year and in the ‘Engineering’ category for the ninth consecutive year, establishing a historic record.
The NIRF 2024 results, released by the Ministry of Education, were announced by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in New Delhi. Pradhan praised all participating institutions, emphasizing that the enthusiasm displayed by the country’s higher education institutions was encouraging. He expressed hope that all 58,000 higher education institutions (HEIs) across India would participate in future rankings. This year, out of the vast number of HEIs, 10,845 applications were submitted in various categories, with 6,507 institutions making it to the rankings.
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Pradhan also highlighted the need for more transparency and a progressive approach in evaluating educational institutions. He acknowledged feedback from various institutes, which suggested that a one-size-fits-all evaluation method might not be appropriate. To address this, the government is actively working on updating the accreditation policy, which will be made public soon. Pradhan stressed that while a degree is important, competency and employability skills are becoming increasingly critical in today’s education landscape.
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The awards for IIT Madras were received in person by Prof V Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, who was accompanied by Prof R Sarathi, Dean of Planning; Prof K Murali, Dean of Faculty; and Dr Jane Prasad, Registrar of IIT Madras. Prof Kamakoti expressed his gratitude to all stakeholders—students, faculty, alumni, and non-teaching staff—whose hard work contributed to the institute’s extraordinary performance. He noted that this ninth consecutive NIRF top ranking was not merely an accolade, but a validation of IIT Madras’ commitment to producing world-class talent and driving impactful research that addresses both national and global challenges. The director emphasized that the institution remains dedicated to serving the nation through education and innovation.
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The Ministry of Education has been actively organizing workshops across India to encourage more institutions to participate in the rankings. Sanjay Murthy, Secretary of the Department of Higher Education, mentioned that these workshops have been instrumental in motivating institutions. He specifically noted a recent presentation by Prof. Rajnish Kumar from IIT Madras, which focused on the importance of collaborations between Indian institutions and international organizations, as well as the ability to sustain continuous research projects with global academic partners.
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IIT Madras continues to lead by example in several areas of innovation and education. It holds the unique distinction of being the first IIT to establish a full-fledged foreign campus, with IITM Zanzibar attracting students from across Africa, India, the Middle East, and other regions. Additionally, IIT Madras has become the first IIT to offer ‘Sports Excellence Admission,’ a program recognizing the need for all-round student development and encouraging sportspersons to pursue higher education.
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In the realm of innovation, IIT Madras incubated the start-up Mindgrove, which successfully developed and launched India’s first commercial high-performance RISC-V based System on Chip (SoC) named ‘Secure IoT’. This achievement is part of a broader trend of innovation at the institute, which was granted 435 patents in the financial year 2023-24—more than double the previous year. The institute also filed for 378 patents, exceeding its ambitious target of one patent per day.
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Financially, IIT Madras raised ₹513 crore during 2023-24, marking the highest fundraising in its history. These funds, sourced from alumni, corporations, and the industry, are being used to enhance institute infrastructure, provide state-of-the-art facilities, offer scholarships for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, and translate lab research into real-world applications.
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The NIRF, which started in 2015, ranks educational institutions across India based on parameters such as Teaching, Learning, Resources, Research, Professional Practices, Graduation Outcomes, Outreach, Inclusivity, and Perception. IIT Madras’ continued dominance in these rankings underscores its commitment to excellence in education and research.
