Useful ranking exercise

Thanks for your insightful cover story ‘Indias most respected non-IIM B-schools (EW July). Your analysis that the huge reputation the IIMs enjoy is because they attract the countrys best graduates, is bang on. Only the top 2 percent who score 98-99 percent in the Common Admission Test qualify for admission into the IIMs. These are the countrys brightest of the best graduates and are inherently motivated to do well.Though nobody can deny that the ABC (Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta) IIMs enjoy great reputations, other B-schools are fast catching up. As your cover story highlights, the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, XLRI, Jamshedpur, S.P. Jain, Mumbai, among others which feature in ‘Indias Top 50 non-IIM B-schools rankings, are well on their way to bridging the teaching-learning gap which separates them from the IIMs. For the great majority of students who dont qualify for the IIMs, your rankings are extremely useful, enabling them to make informed choices.
Rajashekar Murthy
Chennai

Informative league tables
Your latest cover story (EW July) featuring the league tables of the countrys top law, hotel management, fashion, mass communication and animation design colleges was very useful and informative. Given that these professional disciplines are new and still evolving, there are many doubts about the quality of professional courses offered by education institutions. In fact of late, a large number of private professional education institutions, which make tall claims in their advertisements, have mushroomed and its very difficult to be unimpressed. Your rankings, based on the informed opinion of industry experts, faculty and students, will go a long way in helping parents and students shortlist bona fide institutions.
I hope next year you will expand the rankings to include healthcare management and computer training institutes.
Ramesh Kulkarni
Mumbai
Glaring omission
In your cover story ‘Indias most respected non-IIM B-schools (EW July), we are un-able to find the rankings on the parameter of ‘Infrastructure. Rankings of only eight parameters are featured in the magazine.
Priti Miranda
S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research, Mumbai
The Top 10 Infrastructure parameter ranking table was inadvertently omit-ted. The omission is deeply regretted. The table is reproduced below — Editor
Infrastructure (100)

ISB, Hyderabad
92

2
XIM, Bhubaneswar
84

3
XLRI, Jamshedpur
83

4
MDI, Gurgaon
81

4
NITIE, Mumbai
81

6
Alliance Business School, Bangalore

7
SIBM, Pune
79

7
BIMTECH, Greater Noida

9
NIRMA University, Ahmedabad

9
BIMM, Pune
78

Public relations blitz
I compliment your Gujarat correspondent R.K. Misra for his unbiased report on Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modis primary school enrolment drive and the states education record (‘Controversial blitzkrieg, Education News, EW July).
Its easy to get swayed by the public relations blitz which projects Modi as an education champion, and Gujarat as the countrys most developed state. But the truth is that public education in Gujarat — as elsewhere in the country — is grossly neglected. Government schools in the state are poorly equip-ped, student attendance is much below the national average, learning outcomes are poor and the state is ranked #15 in literacy countrywide. Moreover, infilt-ration of hindutva propaganda in textbooks has further damaged the school education system.
The continuous neglect of public education in the state is proof that Modi doesnt believe education is the first and most important foundational block of development.
Satyajit Ganguly
Delhi

Serious doubts
Re. your postscript ‘Faux superman (EW July). It is unfortunate the BJP doesnt have a powerful senior leader who can motivate the electorate and is forced to project Narendra Modi.
I have serious doubts about Modis ability to run the nation. Its plain he cant balance the varied interests of people belonging to different communities, religions and castes.
Mahesh Kumar
Delhi

Considerable confusion
I have read your recent issue featuring a ranking of Indias best non-IIT engineering colleges (EW June). I must politely state that the gatherers of this information are ill-informed about the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT). This is an independent deemed university owned by the state government of Maharashtra.
ICTs stellar performance is highly appreciated by the state government. Recently ICT was adjudged as a Centre of Excellence on a par with the IITs, Indian Institute of Science and Indian Institute of Science Education and Research — a unique distinction. Your survey has overlooked this fact.
Moreover, it has confused ICT with the Mumbai University Institute of Chemical Technology. We have long been separated and are not affiliated with Mumbai University.
Dr. G.D. Yadav
Vice chancellor
Institute of Chemical Technology
Mumbai