The University of Calcutta (CU) bagged the fifth rank in the University category of National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) while Jadavpur University( JU) bagged the sixth rank in the same from West Bengal. CU and JU bagged 12th and 13th positions, respectively, overall in the NIRF ranking 2019. Of the top ten universities, seven are Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).

The IIT Madras, Indian Institute Of Science(IISC), Bangalore, and IIT Delhi ranked first, second and third respectively. Presidency University, Kolkata, however, ranked 41.

Sonali Chakraborty Banerjee, vice-chancellor of Calcutta University, said, “The achievement came from team work. Extraordinary research work is done in our university but after we started compiling the works, we witnessed the success. We are looking forward to achieving more. We are further planning to set up a master database that will contain all the research works. The achievement will help us to get grants in different sectors.” “I have informed state education minister and the chief minister about the ranking. They are very happy.” she added.

Calcutta University which stood 21 in the overall category, last year, has jumped to its success and overtook Jadavpur University. Vice-chancellor of Jadavpur University, Suranjan Das, has congratulated CU about their success and said, “It is a great day for Bengal as two public-funded universities has bagged their ranks in top ten.”

President Ramnath Kovind announced NIRF ranking 2019 for Indian institutes at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi where vice-chancellors and their nominees were present to receive the awards today. NIRF was approved by the MHRD and launched by Minister of Human Resource Development in 2015. The first NIRF ranks were announced in 2016.

CU participated in 2017 and ranked 16 in the university category whereas they achieved the fifth rank this year. The parameters on which the NIRF rankings are based are – teaching, learning and resources, research and professional practices, graduation outcomes, outreach and inclusivity and perception. Burdwan University has shifted to 89 from 96th rank while Kalyani University has ranked poor. They have shifted from 86 to 91 whereas they were in 45th position in 2017.