President Pranab Mukherjee appears to be pleased with the fact that international rating agencies have started recognizing the quality of Indian institutes, especially the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and National Institutes of Technology (NITs).
Mukherjee, while inaugurating the Golden Jubilee of NIT, Tiruchirappalli on Saturday, 19 July, said that it was a matter of pride for the country and the recognition was also very encouraging.
"We pin our hopes on IITs, NITs and other technical institutions to nurture world-class, professionally-competent engineers who will not only take India to new heights in technology but also improve the quality of life of our countrymen," the President said in his address. "We must, therefore, develop in our budding engineers an understanding of the society."
Mukherjee explained that IITs and NITs in India are top ranked institutions for engineering and that India has recently become a permanent member of the Washington Accord, which is an international accreditation agreement amongst 17 countries for professional engineering degrees.
Some of India's IITs are in the world's top 50 in civil and electrical engineering and five institutions are amongst the top 20 universities amongst BRICS nations.
He also said the number of Indian institutions in the top 100 in Asia has increased to 10 this year from three in 2013, and hoped that other institutes would soon replicate these successes.
"Featuring in international rankings has several positive spin-offs, in terms of intangibles like boosting the spirits of students and faculty, to more tangible benefits like better placement for students. More importantly, active participation in rankings will propel the development of institutions in the right direction," Mukherjee added.
He also appreciated the efforts of NIT Tiruchirappalli's students for launching initiatives like "Joy of Giving" that provide services to orphanages and the needy.
