Former MP and Puducherry Maanila Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (PMMMK) president M. Ramadass has urged the government to take serious note of the survey findings of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) as Puducherry's claims of being a higher education hub rang hollow in an objective, qualitative assessment.

In a statement, Mr. Ramadass pointed out barring a handful of exceptions, a majority of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) had failed to find a reasonably well-placed ranking in the 10th edition of the NIRF 2025.

In their respective categories, the handful of institutions that performed creditably were Jipmer (4) and MGMCRI of the Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (42), Mahatma Gandhi Government Dental College (23) and Kanchi Mamunivar Centre for Post Graduate Studies (51), while many other top institutions had failed to impress.

According to Mr. Ramadass, it was distressing that Pondicherry University, despite its access to vast resources and quality faculty, had declined from its 13th rank in 2016 to now occupy the rank band of 101-150 for the second straight year.

The new Vice-Chancellor of the Central University -- of which the President of India is Visitor, Vice President the Chancellor and Puducherry Lieutenant Governor the Chief Rector -- needs to conduct a probe into why the institution was lagging its peers and not figuring among the top 20 ranks, Mr. Ramadass said.

Mr. Ramadaas also drew attention to the fact that no other medical college of Puducherry, including even the Government-run Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research, figured in the list of top 50 medical colleges of India. In the light of this, the proposal of the Chief Minister to upgrade the IGMCRI into a University needs to be kept in abeyance till it enters into the group of top medical institutions of the country.

The Mahatma Gandhi Arts College, Mahe was in the rank band of 151-200 and Indira Gandhi College of Arts and Science was in the range of 201-300.

While the National Institute of Technology, Karaikal has managed to enter the group of 100 top institutions by attaining 99th position, none of the other engineering colleges, including the premier Pondicherry Engineering College (PEC) which has now been upgraded into Puducherry Technical University (PTU) finds a pre-eminent position. The PTU's position in the rank band of 201-300 along with the private Manakula Vinayagar Engineering College, reflects the failure of the government to focus on the institution, especially in constituting the Board of Governors even five years after inception.

It was also surprising that the Dr. Ambedkar Government Law College, which is to be upgraded into a Law University according to the Chief Minister, does not find a place among top-ranked law colleges of the country, he said.

The PMMMK leader felt the government should immediately undertake a SWOT analysis on the sector and take steps to raise the standards of teaching, learning and resources, graduation outcomes, outreach and inclusivity.

Former MP calls for steps to raise standards of higher education in Puducherry following NIRF reality check