'Best state public institution': JU tops varsity list by NIRF, 18th in engineering
Telegraph | 5 September 2025
Jadavpur University has been ranked the best “State Public University” in India in the latest National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) released by the Union education ministry on Thursday.
But the university — long considered a top-tier engineering institution — has suffered a significant slide in its standing among engineering colleges. The university, which ranked 10th among engineering institutions in 2023 and 12th in 2024, has now dropped to 18th in 2025 — its lowest position since the inception of the NIRF rankings in 2015.
In the overall university category, which includes central, state, and private universities, JU is ranked 9th. It is the only state university to be placed among the top 10 in this list.
The “State Public University” category was introduced in 2023 to assess universities funded by state governments.
JU, which has been battling crippling resource constraints due to inadequate funding from both the state and central governments, was ranked second last year. This year, it has moved up to first.
JU’s city rival, Calcutta University, has seen a steep drop. CU, which was ranked 4th in this category in 2024, has fallen to 15th this year.
In the overall university category, CU was 18th last year but now stands at 39th. It failed to make it to the top 10 in either the state or university category.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee lauded JU’s performance, writing on X: “This year, in the State Public University category, Jadavpur University is ranked first in the country, and 9th among all the Universities of all the categories in the country. It is the only State university to be in top 10 of the University list. My congratulations to all the teachers, students, researchers and employees of Jadavpur University for making us proud!”
Despite the overall ranking, concerns persist over the engineering dip. JU pro-vice-chancellor Amitabha Datta, formerly dean of engineering and technology, told Metro: “Although we are happy with our rankings among state public universities, the slide among engineering institutions is concerning. We have been nudged past by the NITs. We have to assess the reasons responsible for the slide.”
Among colleges, two Bengal institutions feature in the top
10 nationally: Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Centenary College in Rahara is
ranked 6th, and St Xavier’s College (Autonomous) is at 8th.
“We are happy to
retain our position among the top 10 colleges yet again,” said Swami
Kamalashananda, principal of the Rahara college. “Although we slipped to sixth
from third last year, it must be noted that the number of competing colleges
rose from 45,000 to 48,000 this year.”
Father Dominic Savio, principal of St
Xavier’s, said: “In all parameters, we have improved from the previous year. We
have strengthened our performance in research, outreach, and inclusivity.
Graduation outcomes remain strong. Regional diversity improved slightly as we
could admit more students from other states and abroad, and our perception
score rose, reflecting stronger public and peer reputation.”
Lady Brabourne
College has also made a significant leap, ranking 47th this year, up from 94th
in 2024. “We are the only government college in Bengal in the top 50,” said
principal Siuli Sarkar.