In the recently released QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2024, the University of Delhi (DU) emerged as the top-ranking sustainable institution in India, securing the 220th position globally. The rankings, unveiled on December 5, highlighted DU’s commitment to sustainability, with no other Indian university making it to the top 200. The University of Toronto claimed the top spot globally, followed by the University of California, Berkeley, and The University of Manchester.
Among Indian institutes, DU was followed by the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), with IIT Bombay leading the pack at 303rd globally, followed by IIT Madras at 344. Beyond the IITs, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani (BITS) secured the 7th position in India (444 globally), followed by Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) at 8th (449 globally), Anna University at 9th (496 globally), and the Indian Institute of Science at 10th (505 globally).
The University Of Delhi Leads Indian Institutions
Despite India not having a university in the top 200, the country performed well in environmental impact indicators, with four institutions ranking among the top 100 globally. VIT stood out as the national leader in the Environmental Sustainability indicator, securing the 49th position globally, followed by DU at 66, IIT Madras at 70, and Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) at 81.
DU received recognition for offering “world-class education in environmental and climate-related subjects” and secured the 16th position in QS’ Environmental Education indicator. In Asia, DU’s performance in this metric was surpassed only by The University of Tokyo. However, there was a noticeable drop in rankings after DU, indicating a need for improvement in environmental education across Indian institutions.
The report emphasized India’s strides in environmental education but pointed out a lack of focus on environmental research. Among Indian institutes, the IITs dominated in environmental research, with IIT Delhi leading at 236th globally. The report suggested that India could enhance factors related to the QS Good Governance indicator, including ethics, hiring practices, transparency, and decision-making. While Manipal Academy of Higher Education and DU ranked 111th and 167th, respectively, in this indicator, there is room for improvement.
In the Equality indicator, Manipal Academy of Higher Education emerged as the national leader, securing the 463rd position globally and being the only Indian institution in the world’s top 500. The report highlighted the need for improvement in environmental research and equality, emphasizing the pivotal role of Indian universities in addressing the country’s commitment to achieve net zero by 2070.
QS Senior Vice President Ben Sowter acknowledged commendable achievements in certain areas but also identified areas for improvement. He emphasized the importance of environmental research capabilities, diversity, inclusivity, and high-impact environmental research to align with India’s climate action plans. As India aims to enhance student mobility, carbon offsetting within the sector becomes increasingly necessary.
Globally, Australia stood out as a top performer in sustainability rankings, with the second most top 10 universities alongside the UK, trailing only Canada. Australia achieved the world’s highest average score for QS’ Social Impact category and Health and Wellbeing, with all three top-scoring universities for the Impact of Education being Australian.
Conclusion
The QS World University Rankings for Sustainability 2024 showcased the University of Delhi’s leadership in sustainability among Indian institutions. While commendable achievements were noted, the report highlighted areas for improvement, urging Indian universities to prioritize environmental research, diversity, and inclusivity to align with the nation’s environmental commitments.
