MUMBAI: IIT-Bombay, which was recently chosen as an Institute of Eminence (IoE) by the Centre, has slipped from the 351-400 band to 401-500 in the
Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2019 released on Wednesday.
The Powai institute has been overtaken by nine-year-old IIT-Indore, which has made an impressive debut as India's second highest-ranked university - and a global top 400 institution - with its scores buoyed by research volume and research impact.
The country is led again by the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, which retains its position in the 251-300 band. No Indian institute made it to the global top 200. But India's presence increased to 49 places this year, up from 42-the fifth best-represented nation in the world. However, most of the institutions either stagnated or declined in the 2019 table.
Deputy director (Academics) at IIT-Bombay, A K Suresh, said they are not chasing global ranks, but intend to do their best. "We do well in some ranking systems and in some others, we may not do well in certain parameters. We just work towards achieving excellence and rankings will happen in the process," he said.
Savitribai Phule Pune University has emerged as the top state-run university in the country, being ranked in the 501-600 band, up from the 601-800 band last year.
Globally, Oxford University claimed first position for the third consecutive year, also topping the list for its the research pillar (volume, income and reputation). Cambridge retained the second spot, while Stanford in the US holds steady in third.
In a statement issued to THE, Pradeep Mathur, director of IIT Indore, said: "Our efforts in making research the focus of the institute is now reflected in the form of citation and other impact metrics of research. We continue to make research the focus of all our programmes which is why you see even our undergraduate students are active participants of research projects and collaborations within India and internationally too."
Among the previously ranked Indian institutions, Amrita University saw an impressive rise in the 2019 table-from the 801-1,000 band to 601-800 this year-- with particular improvement in its citation impact (research influence) score.
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