NEW DELHI: The Indian Institute of Science (IISC) in Bengaluru has scored the topmost slot in the Human Resource Development MinistryÂs national institutional ranking framework (NIRF) for educational institutions.

The rankings, released by the Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar, placed the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M) as the best engineering college and the Indian Institute of Management at Ahmedabad (IIM-A) as the best management institution. 

As per the ranking released by the national institutional ranking framework (NIRF), the IISc stood first in the university category, followed by Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Banaras Hindu University (BHU).

The All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) Delhi was ranked number one institute under medical college category while Miranda House College under Delhi University was adjudged as the best college and the National Law School at Bengaluru as the best school in the country.

Other than Miranda House, St StephenÂs College and Hindu College of Delhi University figure in the list of top ten colleges. 

For the first time, medical and dental colleges were also ranked by the NIRF in which were also added architecture and law this year.

In its first rankings in 2016, NIRF had four categories  universities, engineering, management and pharmacy. In 2017, overall and college categories were added. In all, over 4,000 institutions had applied for rankings this time as against 3,000 the previous year.

Importantly, private higher educational institutions also participated in the ranking scheme.

Speaking about this achievement, Prof Bhaskar Ramamurthi, Director, IIT-Madras said the ranking was an affirmation of consistent hard work of the faculty, staff and students and the zeal with which the institute was implementing and exceeding the targets of their Strategic Plan-2020. “The IIT-Madras leads in research as well as industry collaboration anchored by its hugely successful Research Park. Its students and scholars get placed in the best companies and research institutions worldwide. We will continue to forge ahead with the same energy to achieve even greater heights,ÂÂ he said.

Ranking promotes competition among the Universities and drive them to strive for excellence. Government has also started a scheme called ÂInstitutions of Eminence in which 20 institutions both public and private, would be selected on challenge method and they would be actively supported to come up in the global rankings.

In NIRF, to promote Research and Development in Higher Education, ÂResearch and Professional Practices has been given the highest weightage of 40%, for ranking Universities.