MP Satnam Sandhu flags global perception of Indian Higher Education in Rajya Sabha
Govt Highlights Major Reforms Boosting International Rankings
Babushahi Bureau
New Delhi, December 3, 2025: Rajya Sabha MP Satnam Singh Sandhu on Wednesday raised a key question in the Upper House regarding the steps taken by the Union Government to enhance the global perception of India’s higher education system, particularly in the context of improving international rankings, increasing foreign student/faculty mobility, and incentivising high-performing institutions.
During the Question Hour of the ongoing Winter Session, MP Sandhu highlighted that India has made remarkable progress in two major global ranking systems—Times Higher Education (THE) and QS World University Rankings. He noted that India now has 128 institutions ranked in THE (second only to the US) and 54 universities ranked in QS 2026, five times higher than in 2015.
MP Sandhu asked the Ministry of Education about the concrete measures being taken to strengthen India’s global academic standing and to attract more international students and faculty.
Responding to the query, Union Minister of State for Education, Dr Sukanta Majumdar, said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, Indian institutions have seen a consistent rise in global rankings, backed by improvements in academic quality, research output and international collaborations.
The Minister informed the House that:
- 72,218 foreign students from over 200 countries are currently studying in India.
- Government initiatives such as SPARC, GIAN, and Study in India have significantly boosted academic and research partnerships with top global institutions.
- UGC’s new regulations now enable dual and joint degrees with reputed foreign universities.
- IITs and leading institutions are establishing campuses abroad, expanding India’s global academic footprint.
- Increased international collaborations, faculty exchanges and rising foreign student inflow are reshaping global perceptions of India’s higher education ecosystem.
In his supplementary question, MP Sandhu asked whether the Union Government plans to offer special research funding or autonomy to universities consistently achieving strong global rankings.
Dr Majumdar responded that the government has already undertaken multiple steps to incentivise excellence:
- The Institutions of Eminence (IOE) scheme has been expanded to 12 institutions (8 public, 4 private), with ₹6,198 crore allocated so far to public IOEs.
- India’s research and innovation infrastructure has expanded rapidly:
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- After 2024, new research parks have been established at IIT Delhi, Kanpur, Guwahati, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Gandhinagar.
- Under the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), ₹50,000 crore has been earmarked to support innovation and industry-academia collaboration.
- The One Nation, One Subscription initiative will provide 6,300 institutions access to global research journals, with ₹6,000 crore committed for 2025–27.
The Minister highlighted India’s progress in the Global Innovation Index, rising from 81st earlier to 38th position, and becoming the third-largest producer of scientific publications in 2023—after the US and China.
Between 2020 and 2025, India published 1.6 million research papers, the highest in the world, underscoring the country’s emergence as a major global research hub.
MP Satnam Singh Sandhu lauded the government’s consistent efforts, stating that both public and private universities are working actively to realise Prime Minister Modi’s vision of positioning India among the top global education hubs and placing Indian institutions among the top 100 in the world rankings.