NIRF 2024: IIT Madras Leads, Private Universities Improve Faster

A new report from **KPMG** shows important changes in India's higher education. The report, called "Insights from NIRF 2024 Rankings: How Indian Higher Education is Evolving," highlights that while top government colleges like **IITs** still lead, private universities are quickly catching up. They are doing better in areas like research, new ideas, and helping students find jobs.

The **National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF)** is a system used by the Indian government to rank colleges and universities. The **KPMG** study looks closely at these rankings for **2024** and how things have changed since **2021**. Professor Ramgopal Rao, Vice-Chancellor of **BITS Pilani**, said that the report shows how higher education in India is growing and becoming more varied. He also noted that the competition between **IITs**, state universities, and private colleges is increasing.

IITs Remain at the Top

The study confirms that **IITs** continue to be the best. **IIT Madras** leads the "Overall" and "Engineering" categories in **NIRF 2024**. Other top **IITs** like **IIT Delhi**, **IIT Bombay**, **IIT Kanpur**, and **IIT Kharagpur** also stayed in the top five. These top ten engineering colleges together produce more than **40 percent** of India's published research papers, showing their strong hold in research.

Private Universities Show Strong Growth

The **KPMG** report shows a clear rise in private universities, especially those that offer many different subjects. Colleges like **BITS Pilani**, **Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham**, and **VIT Vellore** have improved a lot. Their research work and faculty (teachers) scores got much better between **2021** and **2024**.

Professor Rao pointed out that this steady improvement means private colleges are focusing more on research, working with global partners, and teaching new, innovative courses. He added that the difference between **IITs** and top private universities is getting smaller. This is because more private campuses are investing in training their teachers and doing research across many subjects.

Public vs. Private: Who is Growing Faster?

The **KPMG** study compares how **IITs** and private universities have changed from **2021** to **2024**. While **IITs** still have higher overall scores, private colleges have improved faster in almost all ranking areas. They made big gains in helping students find jobs and being more inclusive. This means they have more diverse students and stronger connections with industries.

Better Job Chances and Industry Connections

The report found that the average scores for student employability improved by **11 percent** between **2021** and **2024**. This shows that Indian universities are now better linked with industries. **IIT Delhi** and **IIT Bombay** are leaders in job placements. Among private colleges, **BITS Pilani** and **Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham** also lead in this area. This improvement is due to more focus on skill-based courses, internships, and environments that support new ideas, making students more ready for jobs.

Research Still Concentrated, Regions Grow

Even with these positive changes, research work is not spread evenly across all colleges. The report shows that the top **50** institutions produce nearly **70 percent** of all research papers published globally. This means most of the strong research comes from a small group of universities.

Regionally, South India is very strong, with **45 percent** of the top **100** universities coming from **Tamil Nadu**, **Karnataka**, and **Telangana**. However, **Gujarat** and **Rajasthan** are growing, with more universities from these states entering the top **200**.

Among government universities, **Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)**, **University of Delhi**, and **Banaras Hindu University (BHU)** continue to rank high because of their consistent academic work and research output.

To ensure all colleges grow equally, the **KPMG** report suggests that new government rules should support research done together, easier access to funds, and projects that combine different subjects. This is especially important for state and smaller private universities.