“JNU Shines Amid Criticism: Celebrating Recognition in QS Rankings!”Dr Sahu

“JNU Shines Amid Criticism: Celebrating Recognition in QS Rankings!”Dr Sahu

Dr. Tapan Kumar Sahu/ April 11,2024

Surfing through today’s news paper article “JNU India’s highest-placed university-QS rankings “my memory refreshed visiting to the citadel of knowledge 25 years back in 1999 during my student’s life. At that time I have been to collect some materials pertaining to NET/ JRF. One of my friend told me at that time that don’t asked for NET materials in JNU, here everybody is NET/JRF holders and only discuss about UPSC.I have been to the hostel mess and surprised to see the level of discussion on international affairs in dining table by serving a small piece of pamphlets to everyone prior to the food served. At night the campus was more active with library opened with thousands of journals, magazines &newspapers and students sitting in stones at Dhabas taking tea with intellectual discourse. The dress code at that time was kurta, jeans and slipper justifying simple living high thinking .My fascination begins and I asked a student, what makes JNU apart from other university and the answer was an eye opener for me-He said, at other universities teachers teach about government policies and in JNU we taught about the critical analysis of policies and practices of the government.

Now I realize why JNU is one and unique.

Recently a film maker made a movie  “JNU: Jahangir National University- Behind closed walls of education brews a conspiracy to break the nation” has stirred controversy on social media platform X, sparking a debate among netizens. The title’s play on Jawaharlal Nehru University has led to polarized opinions. The post gained massive traction, receiving over 619K views and 6.5K likes. Netizens expressed concerns about the film’s portrayal of educational institutions and students for political motives. Scholar Irrfan Habib highlighted the relentless attacks on JNU and its students, emphasizing the institution’s role as a hub for diverse ideas and voices. He underscored that the ongoing targeting of JNU undermines its essence as a valuable space for inclusive dialogue and intellectual growth.

The recent QS rankings of JNU is a befitting reply to its critique which placed it at the top in India. Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is India’s highest-ranked university placed at 20th position globally for development studies, according to the QS Rankings, announced on Wednesday ie 10th April. The university is also the country’s top-ranked university in the subjects of geography, history, modern languages, politics & international relations, anthropology,English language,literature and Linguistics.

The latest rankings by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), a renowned higher education analytics firm based in London, involved an extensive analysis of over 16,400 university programs across 1,500 universities in 95 countries and territories Highlighting India’s challenge of meeting the growing demand for quality tertiary education. QS CEO Jessica Turner commended the “nation’s target of achieving a 50% gross enrollment ratio by 2035 as outlined in the 2020 National Education Policy.”Though quantitative expansion may be possible but qualitative rankings at global level is only possible through the academic freedom entrusted to university like the JNU.

In addition to the QS ranking, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has been recognized as the top university in India by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), boasting an impressive Grade Point of 3.91 out of 4. JNU have made impressive contributions in various fields such as education and research, politics, civil service, diplomacy, social work, science & technology, media, literature, art and culture. It has been at the second position continuously since the year 2017 among the universities of the country under the ‘National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF).JNU is known for its progressive practices and rich contributions in terms of social sensitivity, inclusion and women empowerment

“JNU Shines Amid Criticism: Celebrating Recognition in QS Rankings!”Dr Sahu. Besides this, JNU has produced several brilliant people in the past, like [Finance Minister] Nirmala Sitharaman, [External Affairs Minister] S. Jaishankar, and [G20 sherpa] Amitabh Kant.Maneka Gandhi,Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee,Sitaram Yechuri,Kavita Krishnan,P.Sainath,Nivedita Menon,Ashutosh etc

The timing of the QS rankings for JNU comes at a crucial moment, shedding light on the university’s accomplishments amidst ongoing criticism. This recognition, though delayed, stands as a testament to the institution’s excellence. Congratulations to the faculty and students of JNU for another feather in the cap of the prestigious institution.

NOTE: The views expressed are personal. Dr. Tapan Kumar Sahu is a Principal, S.D College of Education, Barnala, (PB). He can be contacted at Phone No:- 01679-242705. He is Editor-in-chief Academe:Journal of Education & Psychology. Blog- tapans-academe.blogspot.com