Puducherry: The National Institutional Ranking Framework of the ministry of human resource development (MHRD) did not bring much cheer to Pondicherry University this time also as the institution has not done well in the individual parameters taken into account for the final rankings.
Pondicherry University slipped to 59th rank this time compared to 37th rank last year among all universities. The university was in the 13th position in 2014-15 ranking. Ranks and scores obtined in the five parameters - Teaching, Learning Resources (TLR), Research Professional Practices and Collaborative Performance (RPC), Graduation Outcome (GO), Outreach and Inclusivity (OI) and Perception (PR).
Pondicherry University scored poorly in all the vital parameters, including in the main parameter, ‘Teaching, learning and resources’ falling significantly from the 70th position in 2017 to the 147th position in 2018. In other parameters ‘Research and professional practices’ fell from the 28th position in 2017 to 35th in 2018, ‘graduation outcomes’ from 38th position in 2017 to 38th position in 2018 and ‘Outreach Inclusivity’ from 46th position in 2017 to 101 in 2018
The scores were improved in the ‘Perception’ category where the University has managed to achieve 28th position this year compared to the 70th position in 2017.
For Pondicherry Central University, the journey in recent years has been all about the downhill experience than scaling heights. Apart from MHRD declaring Pondicherry University as among the 11 “non-performing” universities in 2017 the 32-year-old university, which was ranked 13 in 2016 has plummeted to 37 among universities in 2017.
The absence of a permanent Vice Chancellor was pointed out as the main reason for the ‘not so happy’ journey of the 39-year-old prestigious University.
Gurmeet Singh was appointed as the Vice-Chancellor of Pondicherry University in November last year after a series of controversies, including plagiarism charges against Chandra Krishnamurthy, who was sacked from the vice-chancellor post by the Union HRD ministry.
“The recent ranking surely raises concern. But the newly appointed VC cannot fix everything in just 4 months. It will take some time, and things will change by next year, We are taking all necessary steps to bring the University in the forefront in all parameters”, said K. Mahesh, Assistant Registrar (Public Relations) while talking to DC.
