Testament to PM Modi's educational reforms: Dharmendra Pradhan hails India's new high in QS World University Rankings

ANI June 19, 2025 243 views

India has achieved a remarkable five-fold increase in QS-ranked universities since 2014, now placing 54 institutions among the world's best. Education Minister Pradhan directly attributes this success to PM Modi's transformative policies like NEP 2020. IIT Delhi spearheads India's progress, jumping 27 spots to rank 123rd globally. Experts note India is rewriting global education standards with eight new universities entering the rankings this year alone.

"From 11 universities in 2014 to 54 now, this jump is a testament to PM Modi’s transformative reforms" - Dharmendra Pradhan
New Delhi, June 19: With Indian Higher Educational Institutes (HEIs) witnessing an"'unprecedented" five-fold rise in the QS global university rankings, with 54 institutions from the country featuring in the 2026 list, up from 11 in 2014, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday said that such a jump is a "testament to the transformative educational reforms ushered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi."

Key Points

1

India now 4th most represented in QS rankings behind US, UK, China

2

IIT Delhi leads at 123rd globally with 27-rank jump

3

NEP 2020 driving research and internationalization

4

8 new Indian universities entered rankings this year

The Union Minister underlined that India has the "fastest growing education system" among the G20 countries, and the fourth most represented, only behind the United States, United Kingdom, and China.

"With a record 54 HEIs featuring among the global best, India hits a new high in the QS World University 2026 Rankings. From just 11 universities in 2014 to 54 in the latest rankings, this five-fold jump is a testament to the transformative educational reforms ushered by PM Narendra Modi govt. in the last decade. NEP 2020 is not just changing our educational landscape, it is revolutionising it," Pradhan mentioned in a post on X.

Pradhan also added that the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is not only changing the country's educational landscape but also revolutionising it.

https://x.com/dpradhanbjp/status/1935546508616614344

"Matter of immense pride that India is also the fastest growing education system among G20 countries and the fourth most represented behind only the U.S. UK and China. Confident that with NEP's thrust on research, innovation and internationalisation, more Indian HEIs will scale global excellence in the times ahead," the minister said in his post.

According to QS World University Rankings 2026, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has emerged as the country's top-ranked institution, securing the 123rd spot globally -- a jump of 27 places from last year's position of 150.

IIT Bombay and IIT Madras followed at 129th and 180th, respectively. Notably, IIT Madras entered the global top 200 for the first time.

The rankings, released by global higher education analysts QS (Quacquarelli Symonds), cover over 1,500 universities from 106 countries and territories. India is now the fourth most represented country, behind only the United States (192), the United Kingdom (90), and Mainland China (72).

"This year, India has added the most new universities to the QS rankings, with eight fresh entrants. It's a clear sign of a system evolving at both speed and scale," said Jessica Turner, CEO of QS. "India is rewriting the global higher education map."

IIT Delhi performed strongly in several indicators, ranking 50th globally in Employer Reputation, 86th in Citations per Faculty, and 142nd in Academic Reputation. Five Indian universities are now among the global top 100 in Employer Reputation, including IIT Bombay and IIT Kanpur.

Reader Comments

A
Arjun K.
This is fantastic news! 🇮🇳 Our IITs making global mark shows what Indian talent can achieve with right policies. NEP 2020's focus on research is paying off. Hope we see more universities from smaller cities in rankings soon. Jai Hind!
P
Priya M.
While rankings improvement is good, we must also focus on quality education in regional languages and vocational training. Not everyone can go to IITs. Hope NEP addresses this gap too.
R
Rahul S.
Proud moment for India! But let's not forget - our best brains still go abroad for PhDs and research. Need to improve funding and infrastructure to retain talent. The ranking jump is first step though 👍
S
Sneha P.
As someone who studied in both India and UK, I can see the difference NEP is making! More practical courses, better industry connect. But hostels and campus facilities need upgrade to match global standards.
V
Vikram J.
Great achievement! But why only engineering colleges? Where are our medical, law and arts universities? Need balanced growth across all fields to become true vishwaguru.
N
Neha T.
From 11 to 54 in 12 years - that's real progress! 👏 My brother got admission in IIT Madras this year and the new curriculum is so industry-relevant. Hope this momentum continues with more focus on humanities too.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Your email won't be published


Disclaimer: Comments here reflect the author's views alone. Insulting or using offensive language against individuals, communities, religion, or the nation is illegal.

Tags:
QS World University Rankings Modi education reforms Dharmendra Pradhan IIT Delhi NEP 2020