The rankings of different universities in India are always important in the minds of every student preparing for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE). To many people, it is somewhat subjective, and there are a wide variety of factors to consider. However, the Ministry of Education (MoE) ranks each university in India according to a framework known as the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF). Although they make the list and the framework public, various placements in the rankings are confusing. Most surprising is the absurdly low ranking of BITS Pilani as a university compared to others.

BITS Pilani has always been considered a top university in the eyes of the general public. However, in the NIRF rankings, BITS Pilani comes in at the 25th place as of 2023. It falls behind various universities, such as the various campuses of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), the National Institute of Technology (NIT), and even other universities, such as Jadavpur University and Anna University.

The NIRF has five main parameters, which include teaching, learning and resources, research and professional practice, graduation outcomes, outreach and inclusivity, and perception. These parameters have weights of 0.3, 0.3, 0.2, 0.1, and 0.1, respectively. Upon a closer look, each parameter has various subparameters, with a unique function to calculate the total marks scored in that area. BITS has a score of 59.52, while the highest score has been given to IIT Madras (89.79).

Upon looking through the breakdown of marks given to BITS, it is noticed that BITS has scored the lowest in Footprint of Projects, Professional Practice and Executive Development Programs (FPPP), as well as Economically and Socially Challenged Students (ESCS). The FPPP is a parameter that has to do with the funding received by the university for research, as well as the earnings gained from full-time executive development programs. As a private institution, BITS does not receive direct funding from the government and, hence, is bound to score low in this category. On top of that, in order to manage college activities, a high fee has been set, which pertains to the ESCS category. Due to the high fees, students from weaker financial backgrounds usually cannot afford to enrol in BITS despite the various scholarships provided.

Other parameters such as Patents Filed, Published, Granted and Licensed, as well as the Metric for the Number of PhD Students Graduated also have low scores. For an average student looking to do a Bachelor’s degree, the number of graduating PhD students does not hold much weight, and the number of patents as a category also relies on funding, which the government does not provide.

It is interesting to note that BITS has scored well in terms of placements for Bachelor’s degree holders and the strength of students and faculty. Also, while some colleges might have higher placement statistics, the median and maximum salary of the graduating students are quite different from the statistics of BITS. Not to mention the other important aspects not mentioned on the list, such as student quality, amount of competitions won by students, living conditions, location of college, and many more that many people hold to important standards. As such, the conclusion is that it isn’t that the NIRF rankings are wrong. A glance at the parameters taken into consideration showcases the priorities of the MoE, and hence their ranking is based on that. Other universities rank ahead of BITS through parameters such as ESCS, and FPPP through government funding.

In conclusion, while the NIRF rankings are a great start to analyse a university, one should go more in-depth than them and ask questions that could impact their own university life and future.