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India Today
6 days ago
- Business
- India Today
India's Best Universities: Why IIT Delhi remains the prime engine of innovation
(NOTE: This article was originally published in the India Today issue dated August 11, 2025)No 1. INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY DELHI, New DelhiSpread across 373 acres in the heart of India's capital, IIT Delhi stands as one of the country's 23 premier institutions for training, research and development in science, engineering and technology. Established in 1961 and declared an 'Institution of National Importance' under the Institutes of Technology (Amendment) Act, 1963, it earned the coveted tag of 'Institute of Eminence' (IoE) in the decades, IIT Delhi has steadily built a reputation for academic excellence and cutting-edge research. In the latest QS World University Rankings by Subject (2025), it climbed to 26th place globally in engineering & technology—up from 45th last year—making it the highest-ranked Indian institution in this category. With 16 departments, 11 centres and six interdisciplinary schools, IIT Delhi currently serves around 10,761 undergraduate and postgraduate students, offering a wide spectrum of programmes, from BTech and MTech to MBA, Master of Public Policy, MSc and MA. Since its inception, more than 63,000 students have graduated, including over 7,500 with a and innovation are central to the institute's mission. Faculty and students are actively involved in projects across domains—from fundamental science to applied technology. The Research and Innovation Park, inaugurated in 2022, exemplifies this approach. It fosters collaboration between academia, industry and government to translate research into real-world applications and market-ready institute recently undertook a comprehensive curriculum revamp across all levels—undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral. Effective from the 2025–26 academic year, the new curriculum reflects themes such as flexibility, hands-on learning, sustainability, ethical reasoning and technological foresight, including AI and machine learning. For MTech and MS (Research) students, the structure is now more outcome-oriented, with greater industry engagement and the option to undertake master's theses within industry settings.A PhD conversion option has also been built in for postgraduate students, while undergraduate students can now seamlessly transition into an MTech programme after three years, making them eligible for a five-year dual degree. Doctoral training has similarly been formalised, with a focus on producing independent, ethically grounded the Kusuma School of Biological Sciences has launched a new MSc programme with a strong emphasis on quantitative biology and 'learning by doing', addressing a critical skills gap in data-driven life sciences. IIT Delhi recently inaugurated a cutting-edge MRI research facility under its IoE initiative. Housing a 1.5 Tesla clinical-grade MRI scanner, it is India's first such standalone facility within an engineering campus—free from hospital constraints and designed to spark innovation in medical imaging.'The institute is also part of the National Quantum Mission, anchoring a new hub on quantum materials and devices,' says IIT Delhi director Prof. Rangan Banerjee. 'Notably, its collaboration with DRDO has resulted in a joint technology centre where several products and prototypes developed by researchers are now being transferred to industry.'advertisementLooking ahead, the institute is laying the foundation for its next chapter through a strategic roadmap titled 'IIT Delhi 2035'. 'Every department is being reviewed as part of an external academic audit led by global experts, and the long-term vision will be finalised by next year,' a spokesperson reveals. Alongside academic restructuring, the institute is preparing for a major overhaul of its physical infrastructure—demolishing and rebuilding parts of the campus to meet modern COLUMN | A curriculum for Gen NextBy Prof. Rangan Banerjee Director, IIT DelhiThis has been an eventful year. After nearly 12-13 years, we have completely revamped our curriculum. The changes are centred on flexibility, hands-on learning and preparing students for interdisciplinary careers. Every student—whether in undergraduate, master's or doctoral programmes—will now engage with concepts in Artificial Intelligence and sustainability, essential for any future the master's level, students will now take part in a capstone project, fostering teamwork and real-world problem-solving. There is also an increased focus on communication, internships with industry and a recalibrated credit structure to enhance academic depth. PhD programmes have similarly evolved. While depth in research remains central, the structure now includes elements of breadth—ranging from teaching practicum to research communication. Our goal is to ensure that doctoral candidates are not only strong researchers but are also prepared for academic or industry the fast-changing nature of work, IIT Delhi has deepened its ties with industry over the past year. This includes the launch of a Hyundai research centre—one of the company's few facilities outside Korea—which also involves IIT Bombay and IIT Madras. It will function as a national research centre, focused on areas relevant to industry. Entrepreneurship, especially among master's and doctoral students, is being actively promoted. If students—across UG and PG levels—come up with a strong idea, we support them to turn it into a well-being remains a core concern, especially in high-pressure academic environments. IIT Delhi has scaled up its mental health infrastructure significantly in the last year. This includes 24x7 counsellor access, online support tools and a more robust academic support system.—as told to Shelly AnandCAMPUS NOTES | From lab life to life lessonsadvertisementBy Juwayria, PhD scholarIIT Delhi is my home away from home. The postgraduate experience here is like no other; there is a culture and community that rewards the practice of excellence. This, in my opinion, is the primary purpose of any avenues and exposure that IIT Delhi offers are unparalleled. From hands-on work in world-class labs to collaboration with the most productive labs across the globe, the research environment helps students thrive in their respective from the department-wise labs, the institute boasts three campus-wide facilities: the Central Research Facility (CRF), with 90+ working facilities and 8,500+ users; the Nanoscale Research Facility (NRF), with several state-of-the-art fabrication/thin film deposition instruments and characterisation laboratories; and the Makerspace, the one-stop shop for prototyping and end-to-end product Delhi actively encourages participation in domestic and international conferences through schemes like RETA (Research Excellence Travel Award) and RSTA (Research Scholar Travel Award), where students are given a Rs 2 lakh grant. I attended two such conferences in the UK and ribbon that ties the entire experience together is the personal and overall growth of students on campus. In my time here, I reconnected with my passion for basketball after a three-year hiatus, received the Best Speaker Award at the institute-level debate competition, participated in classical dance classes. There is a strong culture of sports; we even have our own Formula to India Today Magazine- EndsMust Watch
India Today
01-08-2025
- Business
- India Today
The prime engine of innovation Top Technical University
As IIT Delhi revamps its curriculum, labs and vision, it gears up to lead the next wave of tech revolution No 1. INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY DELHI, New Delhi Spread across 373 acres in the heart of India's capital, IIT Delhi stands as one of the country's 23 premier institutions for training, research and development in science, engineering and technology. Established in 1961 and declared an 'Institution of National Importance' under the Institutes of Technology (Amendment) Act, 1963, it earned the coveted tag of 'Institute of Eminence' (IoE) in 2018. Over the decades, IIT Delhi has steadily built a reputation for academic excellence and cutting-edge research. In the latest QS World University Rankings by Subject (2025), it climbed to 26th place globally in engineering & technology—up from 45th last year—making it the highest-ranked Indian institution in this category. With 16 departments, 11 centres and six interdisciplinary schools, IIT Delhi currently serves around 10,761 undergraduate and postgraduate students, offering a wide spectrum of programmes, from BTech and MTech to MBA, Master of Public Policy, MSc and MA. Since its inception, more than 63,000 students have graduated, including over 7,500 with a PhD. Research and innovation are central to the institute's mission. Faculty and students are actively involved in projects across domains—from fundamental science to applied technology. The Research and Innovation Park, inaugurated in 2022, exemplifies this approach. It fosters collaboration between academia, industry and government to translate research into real-world applications and market-ready solutions. The institute recently undertook a comprehensive curriculum revamp across all levels—undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral. Effective from the 2025–26 academic year, the new curriculum reflects themes such as flexibility, hands-on learning, sustainability, ethical reasoning and technological foresight, including AI and machine learning. For MTech and MS (Research) students, the structure is now more outcome-oriented, with greater industry engagement and the option to undertake master's theses within industry settings. A PhD conversion option has also been built in for postgraduate students, while undergraduate students can now seamlessly transition into an MTech programme after three years, making them eligible for a five-year dual degree. Doctoral training has similarly been formalised, with a focus on producing independent, ethically grounded researchers. Meanwhile, the Kusuma School of Biological Sciences has launched a new MSc programme with a strong emphasis on quantitative biology and 'learning by doing', addressing a critical skills gap in data-driven life sciences. IIT Delhi recently inaugurated a cutting-edge MRI research facility under its IoE initiative. Housing a 1.5 Tesla clinical-grade MRI scanner, it is India's first such standalone facility within an engineering campus—free from hospital constraints and designed to spark innovation in medical imaging. 'The institute is also part of the National Quantum Mission, anchoring a new hub on quantum materials and devices,' says IIT Delhi director Prof. Rangan Banerjee. 'Notably, its collaboration with DRDO has resulted in a joint technology centre where several products and prototypes developed by researchers are now being transferred to industry.' Looking ahead, the institute is laying the foundation for its next chapter through a strategic roadmap titled 'IIT Delhi 2035'. 'Every department is being reviewed as part of an external academic audit led by global experts, and the long-term vision will be finalised by next year,' a spokesperson reveals. Alongside academic restructuring, the institute is preparing for a major overhaul of its physical infrastructure—demolishing and rebuilding parts of the campus to meet modern needs. GUEST COLUMN | A curriculum for Gen Next This has been an eventful year. After nearly 12-13 years, we have completely revamped our curriculum. The changes are centred on flexibility, hands-on learning and preparing students for interdisciplinary careers. Every student—whether in undergraduate, master's or doctoral programmes—will now engage with concepts in Artificial Intelligence and sustainability, essential for any future career. At the master's level, students will now take part in a capstone project, fostering teamwork and real-world problem-solving. There is also an increased focus on communication, internships with industry and a recalibrated credit structure to enhance academic depth. PhD programmes have similarly evolved. While depth in research remains central, the structure now includes elements of breadth—ranging from teaching practicum to research communication. Our goal is to ensure that doctoral candidates are not only strong researchers but are also prepared for academic or industry roles. Recognising the fast-changing nature of work, IIT Delhi has deepened its ties with industry over the past year. This includes the launch of a Hyundai research centre—one of the company's few facilities outside Korea—which also involves IIT Bombay and IIT Madras. It will function as a national research centre, focused on areas relevant to industry. Entrepreneurship, especially among master's and doctoral students, is being actively promoted. If students—across UG and PG levels—come up with a strong idea, we support them to turn it into a startup. Student well-being remains a core concern, especially in high-pressure academic environments. IIT Delhi has scaled up its mental health infrastructure significantly in the last year. This includes 24x7 counsellor access, online support tools and a more robust academic support system. —as told to Shelly Anand CAMPUS NOTES | From lab life to life lessons IIT Delhi is my home away from home. The postgraduate experience here is like no other; there is a culture and community that rewards the practice of excellence. This, in my opinion, is the primary purpose of any education. The avenues and exposure that IIT Delhi offers are unparalleled. From hands-on work in world-class labs to collaboration with the most productive labs across the globe, the research environment helps students thrive in their respective fields. Apart from the department-wise labs, the institute boasts three campus-wide facilities: the Central Research Facility (CRF), with 90+ working facilities and 8,500+ users; the Nanoscale Research Facility (NRF), with several state-of-the-art fabrication/thin film deposition instruments and characterisation laboratories; and the Makerspace, the one-stop shop for prototyping and end-to-end product development. IIT Delhi actively encourages participation in domestic and international conferences through schemes like RETA (Research Excellence Travel Award) and RSTA (Research Scholar Travel Award), where students are given a Rs 2 lakh grant. I attended two such conferences in the UK and Italy. The ribbon that ties the entire experience together is the personal and overall growth of students on campus. In my time here, I reconnected with my passion for basketball after a three-year hiatus, received the Best Speaker Award at the institute-level debate competition, participated in classical dance classes. There is a strong culture of sports; we even have our own Formula team.
The Hindu
31-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Raichur MP alleges stagnation in Institutions of Eminence scheme
Raichur Lok Sabha member G. Kumar Naik has criticised the Union Government's handling of the Institutions of Eminence (IoE) scheme, saying the Centre has failed to deliver on its core promise of building globally competitive universities even eight years after its launch. On July 28, the MP had raised the issue in the Lok Sabha. Following up, on July 31, Mr. Naik released a statement in which the MP stated: 'Bureaucratic inertia, underfunding, and lack of institutional autonomy' have derailed the Central Government's flagship programme for higher education excellence. 'The state of higher education in India speaks volumes in the silence that has followed. The ambition was to put Indian universities on the global map. But as the numbers show, the reality is far from this goal,' he said. According to the reply by the Union Ministry of Education to his query, only 114 institutions have applied under the IoE scheme since its launch in 2017. Of these, just 11 are greenfield institutions that are yet to commence operations. The MP termed the figures 'abysmally low', noting with concern that prominent institutions such as Jawaharlal Nehru University, known for its work in the social sciences and development studies, are excluded from public funding under the scheme. Mr. Naik pointed out that while 12 universities have been granted the 'eminence' tag, no new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed since 2022. 'This is because the Empowered Expert Committee, which was supposed to process new applications, has not been reconstituted after its term expired in 2021,' he said. Highlighting the 2026 QS World University Rankings, Mr. Naik said only six Indian institutions have made it to the top 500 list – five of which have consistently figured in the rankings since 2012. 'The scheme aimed to elevate Indian institutions into the top 500 globally. However, according to the 2026 QS World University Rankings, only six Indian universities have made it to that list so far. Five of these had already entered the top 500 by 2012, during the tenure of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. Since then, only one additional institution, the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, has made it to the list under the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. Even that has seen a steep fall in its global standing, slipping from 147 in 2016 to 219 in 2026,' he said. Pointing to ₹10,000 crore earmarked for 10 public institutions under this scheme, Mr. Naik claimed that almost 40% of the amount remains unallocated, and even Delhi University had received only ₹481 crore. 'Worse, this year's budget estimates have been slashed by nearly 68% compared to 2023-24, to just ₹475.12 crore,' Mr. Naik said. Mr. Naik flagged a broader decline in public investment in education, pointing out that the share of education in the Union Budget has fallen from over 4% in 2013-14 to 2.5% in 2025-26 whereas the number of students in higher education has grown from 3.2 crore (32 million) in 2013-14 to 4.3 crore (43 million) in 2021-22. He added that one-third of faculty posts in Central universities remain vacant as of March 2023. 'The 2017 policy shift from grants to loans has only added pressure on our universities. It is making higher education more expensive for students, and financially unsustainable for institutions.' he claimed. Quoting a 2023 report by the Ministry of Science & Technology, Mr. Naik noted that India's expenditure on research and development (R&D) had declined to just 0.64% of GDP as of 2020-21, continuing a downward trend since 2009-10. 'Our researcher base is also shrinking, with the number of researchers per capita five times lower than the global average. While China is producing frontier AI models like DeepSeek, we are struggling to fill teaching vacancies,' he said. 'The quest for 'eminence' will no doubt continue, but whether it is driven by meaningful action, or left to wither in quiet neglect is for the Indian political class to decide,' he stated.
India Today
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Banaras Hindu University invites internship applications, offers Rs 20,000 stipend
Banaras Hindu University (BHU) has announced a call for applications for the Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Internship for the academic year 2025– initiative is part of the Institution of Eminence (IoE) scheme and is exclusively open to eligible postgraduates who have completed their studies at BHU during the academic session 2024–25.A total of 110 internship positions are tentatively available. These will be distributed across various disciplines, including Library Science, Physical Education, Education, Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Commerce, and External INTERNSHIP 2025: POSITIONS ACROSS MULTIPLE FIELDSLibrary Category (Total: 20 positions):15 positions for MLib & Information Science graduates5 positions for MCA or MSc in Computer Science graduatesPhysical Education:10 positions for MPEd postgraduatesEducation Stream (Total: 10 positions):8 positions for MEd2 positions for MEd in Special EducationPerforming Arts (Total: 20 positions):Tabla – 11 positionsVocal – 5 positionsViolin – 2 positionsBharatanatyam – 1 positionKathak – 1 positionVisual Arts (Total: 20 positions):Painting – 5 positionsApplied Art – 4 positionsPlastic Art – 5 positionsTextile Design – 3 positionsPottery Ceramics – 3 positionsCommerce Stream:20 positions focusing on Finance and AccountingExternal Communication (Total: 10 positions):Journalism and Mass Communication – 5 positionsHindi – 1 positionEnglish – 1 positionApplied Arts – 2 positionsComputer Science – 1 positionBHU INTERNSHIP 2025: ELIGIBILITY, AGE LIMITSEligibility criteria specify that applicants must have passed the final semester of their postgraduate programme at BHU in the 2024-25 academic session, without any maximum age limit is 28 years for candidates in the general category. Relaxations in age will apply for SC, ST, and OBC applicants as per government INTERNSHIP 2025: STIPEND AND APPLICATIONSelected interns will receive a monthly stipend of Rs 20,000. The internship period will run from September 1, 2025, to August 31, selection process includes assessment of academic performance and a personal interview. Reservation norms will be followed as per the existing must be submitted through the respective Heads of Department. For example, Library applications should be routed via the Librarian, while others should be submitted to the Deans or Heads of Departments of the concerned here for official notification for BHU Internship 2025The deadline for submission of applications is July 21, 2025. Candidates must use the prescribed application form and submit all required documents along with it.- Ends
India Today
19-06-2025
- Business
- India Today
How IIT Delhi pulled off India's fastest QS climb - a 27-place leap to the top
IIT Delhi's dramatic 27-spot climb in the QS World University Rankings 2026 -- from 150 to 123 globally -- is the biggest leap any Indian university has ever made in a single year in the top 200 bracket. This is also the highest global rank ever achieved by an Indian institute in QS Indian institutes have typically seen annual improvements of 5–15 spots, if at all. A jump this big, this fast, is rare, and reflects deep structural gains -- across research, global links, and a proud moment for IIT Delhi,' said Prof Vivek V Buwa, Dean of Planning and Head of the Rankings Cell. 'I would like to congratulate present and past faculty members, students, 64,000+ alumni, the Ministry of Education (Govt. of India), and all the stakeholders who have contributed to this success.' The QS World University Rankings 2026 were released today and 54 Indian institutes featured on the list. This year, QS evaluated approximately 8,467 institutions globally but only 1,501 made it into the final 2026 rankings DROVE THE QS RANKING SURGE?The biggest push came from strong performance in two major QS metrics: employer reputation and citations per reputation simply means how well employers across the world rate an institute's graduates. Citations per faculty shows how often the research work by faculty is used or quoted by other researchers Buwa explained: 'Improvements in academic and employer reputation, citations per faculty which is an indicator of high-quality cutting edge research undertaken by IIT Delhi faculty members and students, strong international research network and improvements in sustainability rankings.'Much of this is backed by robust research infrastructure. 'With the support for the Government through the Ministry of Education, in particularly, the Institute of Eminence (IoE) Scheme, IIT Delhi has set up high-end research facilities,' he institute gets Rs 300-400 crore every year through sponsored R&D projects -- and some of them are truly like the Affordable Ventilator Initiative during COVID-19, the Smart Campus Energy Management System, the Drone-based agricultural solutions project, and TRDC's regional air quality monitoring tech have not only served the nation but gained international Delhi has also contributed to space-grade electronics for ISRO missions and AI-driven water conservation tools. ALUMNI WHO KEEP GIVING BACKIIT Delhi's alumni spread across top global firms, tech startups, and research labs have become central to its brand are about 64,000 alumni of IIT Delhi who are working in different sectors in India as well as across the globe, and have significantly contributed to research, technology development, successful startups/unicorns, and many other areas,' Prof Buwa contributions include major donations. The School of Artificial Intelligence was launched in 2020 with a Rs 25 crore donation from alumni, and the Bharti School of Telecommunication was set up in 2000 with Rs 100 crore funding from Sunil Bharti Mittal and Bharti GLOBAL: FROM JOINT PHDs TO ABU DHABIIIT Delhi isn't just stopping here. The institute is actively pushing global connections.'IIT Delhi has already started joint degree program (at PhD level), the institute is working on joint master's degree programs,' said Prof already offers joint PhD programmes with the University of Queensland (Australia), National Chiao Tung University (Taiwan), and the University of Waterloo (Canada) — launched over the last 5–7 years. More are in the works, alongside a drive to enrol international the IIT Delhi Abu Dhabi campus, launched in 2024, is set to offer undergraduate and postgraduate programmes tailored for international PLANS'IIT Delhi has a strong potential to improve its ranking further and be in top 100 world universities in near future,' said Prof the momentum it's building -- global research, real-world projects, and powerful alumni — the top 100 might just be within Watch
