Teamwork has paid off, says IIT-M chief on retaining top NIRF ranking

Collective effort, continuous assessment and improvement strategies were the key factors behind the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras retaining the top position in the National Institutional Ranking Framework, the premier institute's Director V Kamakoti said in New Delhi on Monday.

It was quite easy to reach the top, but difficult to maintain it, and the recognition has given IIT-M a lot more confidence and motivation to work much harder, Prof Kamakoti said.

Speaking to PTI exclusively, he said though there was satisfaction over the accomplishment, a lot more needs to be done in areas including innovation, research and teaching. "That we as faculty, students, staff, the alumni, industry partners, Union Ministry of Education and our Tamil Nadu State government, all of us have contributed in a very cohesive manner to reach this level." IIT-M retained the top spot among institutes in the country for the fifth consecutive year, according to the Union Ministry of Education's National Institutional Ranking Framework.

Several parameters are important with regard to the NIRF rankings, and in order to excel, a single factor alone cannot be decisive. "...the faculty sector alone cannot be that parameter, it is a collective effort. That collective, cohesive effort is what has given us this laurel. We are confident that we can work much harder and do much more in the service to our nation," the director said.