What is the Institute of Eminence? Why does MAHE deserve IoE status?

Educational institutes help build the future of a nation. So, they must access the best mechanisms for teaching and learning. The process will help them provide support to students during the academic years. It resulted in the Indian government proposing the Institute of Eminence scheme for Indian institutions.

The central authorities formulated the IoE scheme to establish 20 prestigious educational institutions in the country. The University Grants Commission (UGC) introduced a regulation in 2017 that requires the Institute of Eminence scheme to receive accreditation within five years of notification. Moreover, the Indian educational institutes must implement intricate changes depending on the standardized guidelines to get a position in the national institute ranking systems. 

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What is the institute of eminence?

The status of ‘Institute of Eminence’ was launched to empower higher education institutions in India and help them implement world-class teaching systems to enhance affordable access to high-quality education. The University Grants Commission set the IoE scheme in 2017. Twenty institutions received the grant, and eleven among the selected ones got the Institutions of Eminence status in April 2021. 

Who is eligible for the Institute of Eminence status?

An higher education institution in India requires the following characteristics to become an Institute of Eminence.

• The National Institution Ranking Framework (NIRF) requires the organization to rank among the top fifty institutions in its category.

• State public universities, institutes of national importance, institutions subject to professional regulatory council regulation, and government-owned institutions will continue to operate under existing acts. 

• According to UGC Regulations for Institutions of Eminence, the deemed-to-be universities that fall under the government authority will receive additional incentives. 

How do institutions with IoE differ from others?

Recently, the top 200 list of the World University Rankings was announced. Unfortunately, however, no Indian University made it to the list. The government has suggested the Institute of Eminence scheme establishment in India due to its appalling performance in the Global rankings. The authorities proposed to create twenty such top-notch institutions across the nation as part of the proposal. 

The University Grants Commission (UGC) published the announcement for the Institute of Eminence creation in September 2017. According to the UGC notice, the Institute of Eminence must obtain accreditation within five years from the notification date. 

The IoE universities have specific features that can help them stand out among the crowd. However, the institutions must adopt the following characteristics to enter reputable ranking frameworks.

• Highly competent teachers, with the option to hire individuals from any country
• Academic, administrative, and financial independence
• Superiority in research
• The high caliber of instruction
• High funding levels
• Sufficient financial aid for deserving students to support a need-blind admissions procedure
• Selection of students using a transparent process to guarantee admission of deserving pupils
• A sizeable percentage of pupils from abroad
• Mechanisms for autonomous government
• Facilities for teaching, research, administration, and student life that are well-equipped
• Contributions to society, both realistic and intangible
• Possibility of utilizing alumni and financial sources, as well as the independence to do so
• It should ideally have a strong emphasis on both teaching and research with a multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary approach.
• In addition to offering interdisciplinary courses, it ought to confer degrees, diplomas, and other academic distinctions in these fields, particularly those relevant to the development issues faced by nations like India and those involving growing technology and interest.
• There should be a sizable percentage of foreign or internationally educated faculty.
• There needs to be a balance between Indian and international students.
• The emphasis must remain on obtaining meritorious students because admissions should depend on merit.
• The admissions process should be need-blind for a student to get admitted solely based on merit, and that meritorious student should not be turned away for lack of financial ability.

Read more: Why MAHE is the best university for higher education?

What are the benefits of having IoE status?

The universities with the IoE status can enjoy the following privileges –

• They have the option to admit merit-based overseas students to fill up to 30% of the number of admitted domestic students.
• They will get unrestricted flexibility to charge fees to international students.

• They have the authority to choose the domestic student cost, with the condition that no accepted student should be turned away for financial reasons. 

• The process should be coupled with a reputable program of loans and scholarships to ensure that those in need can pursue higher education without facing financial difficulties.

• After receiving the approval of its Governing Council and generally adhering to the prevailing minimum standards communicated to the Commission or Professional Regulatory Councils, they would get the freedom to offer courses within a program and degrees in newer areas, including interdisciplinary ones.

• After getting approved by their Governing Council and broadly adhering to the minimal prevalent requirements, they would be allowed the freedom to choose their course structure concerning the number of credits and years to complete a degree.

• The institutions will have the flexibility to adjust the curriculum and syllabus without a UGC-mandated curriculum structure. 

List of Institutes of Eminence

The Institute of Eminence in India gets divided into two major categories: Public Institute of Eminence and Private Institute of Eminence. The institutes with IoE status come under the institute of the national importance list. There are currently 11 institutes of Eminence list that have achieved the IoE status, of which eight are public IoEs, and three are private. The following is the list of the Institute of Eminence. 

Public Institution of Eminence	Private Institution of Eminence
Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka IIT Delhi, Delhi IIT Bombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra IIT Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu IIT Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal University of Delhi, Delhi Banaras Hindu University, Banaras, Uttar Pradesh University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana	Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences, Pilani, Rajasthan Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka OP Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana

Why does MAHE deserve IoE status?

MAHE’s current QS world university ranking is 751-800. It is the 7th best university per the 2021 NIRF Rankings. The five-strong pillars of MAHE that resulted in the university getting an IoE status are as below –

• Excellence in Education
• Expanding reach and internationalization
• Exemplary research and innovation
• Effective engagement and relation
• Enabling foundation and sustainability mission

What makes MAHE different from other institutes?

Here’s why MAHE is the right choice for your education –

• Excellent Education 

The quality of education that you get here is incomparable to other universities. MAHE has received numerous high rankings and is one of the top universities in the world. These standards reflect in every student of MAHE. The institute has one of the best faculties you could find with mammoth experience, which adds a feather to the cap.

• Campus life

MAHE has One of the largest and most beautiful campuses in India in private universities, with a campus area of 600 acres. It has a well-resourced library, a lush green End Point Park, a sports complex, and a medical college and hospital with 24×7 excellent facilities. 

• Overall growth

In MAHE, various cultural and sports activities happen throughout the year that help to shape overall personalities. In MAHE, academic competence and personality development are significant entities. 

Final thoughts 

The renowned Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) is India’s leading academic and research institution. It is one of the best private institutions in India and has been granted the Institution of Eminence status by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. You can also benefit from the plethora of online courses designed by this eminent institute at Online Manipal. Enroll today!

Read more: Top online programs from MAHE