Journal Press India^®

Author Details ( * ) denotes Corresponding author

Purpose: The objective of the study was to analyse and interpret how and where the top 27 colleges of University of Delhi have focused to obtain high ranking in NIRF, the National Institutional Ranking Framework particularly keeping in mind its various parameters which has led to an increase in their ranks from the year 2018 to the current year 2019.

Design/Methodology/Approach: Secondary data have been used for this research and collected from the NIRF website. A comparison was done for 27 colleges of University of Delhi which secured a ranking in top 100 colleges in India in the year 2019. The respective change in these scores over the past one year and its weighted implications are also considered and have been compared with their respective scores on various parameters in the year 2018.

Findings: The findings revealed that in order to increase the rank of colleges in NIRF, it is important to increase the faculty student ratio with emphasis on permanent faculty and also it is necessary to increase the number of faculty with Ph.D. and experience. The combined metric for publications particularly for quality of publications should also be increased. The metric for university examinations and the combined percentage of students for placement, higher studies, and entrepreneurship should also be increased. Colleges should focus on increasing the region diversity and facilities for physically challenged students to score high in NIRF ranking. Lastly, perception should also be increased by looking at the top colleges’ best practices and various aspects like peer perception, public perception, & competitiveness.

Research Limitations: The study is only limited to the conclusion made on the basis of parameters used by NIRF, and hence there is scope of improvement in ranking on the basis of other factors and considerations used by other reputed accreditation and ranking institutions. Also, the study is only limited to colleges of University of Delhi and hence, has limited implications for the rest of the colleges of the country.

Practical Implications: The results of the study can be very helpful for the colleges of University of Delhi as well as other colleges in India as the institutions are working on all areas of quality improvement for survival, sustenance, and for establishing distinct standards in the highly competitive market. The ranking and recognition through accreditation add to the prestige of an educational institution and be beneficiary of funding, increased enrolment of students, improved public image, and perception.

Originality/Value: This study is probably the first to empirically analyse and interpret how and where the top 27 colleges of University of Delhi have focused to obtain high ranking in NIRF, keeping in mind its various parameters which has led to an increase in their ranks from the year 2018 to the current year 2019.

Keywords

Ranking, Comparative Analysis, Parameters, Perception, Research, Higher Education, Accreditation, NIRF, University of Delhi.

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Weblink

• https://www.nirfindia.org.
• Higher Education in India: Issues, Concerns and new Directions http://www.ugc.ac.in/pub/heindia.pdf.
• https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2019.
• https://www.timeshighereducation.com/content/world-university-rankings.