April 3: Six educational institutes from the Northeast are among the top 100 in the annual national rankings released by the HRD ministry.

IIT Guwahati has been placed eighth in the overall category while Gauhati University ranks 43rd, Tezpur University 48th, North Eastern Hill University, Shillong, ranks 77th and Mizoram University ranks 94th while the Rajiv Gandhi IIM Shillong ranks 99th.

The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, has been ranked at the top in the India Rankings 2017, a ranking of higher educational institutions based on the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF).

Several institutes from the northeastern states had participated in the overall ranking but only the above-mentioned institutes found a place in the list of top 100 institutions.

Six other IITs have also made it to the list of the top 10 educational institutions released under the NIRF, the other two being Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

The results of the second edition of the domestic rankings were announced by HRD minister Prakash Javadekar here today.

Unlike last year, this time the ranking was released under five categories - Overall, Colleges, Universities, Management and Engineering.

IISc figured at the top in Overall and Universities categories. JNU, which was at third position in the last ranking, has been ranked second this year in Universities category. Jadavpur University, Calcutta, has been ranked fifth among the best universities.

In the Overall ranking, the university which has been at the centre of controversies for over a year, has been placed at the sixth position.

HRD minister Javadekar was quick to say the recognition to universities such as JNU and Jadavpur University was purely for their research and good work.

"JNU and Jadavpur University have not been awarded for their 'pro-Afzal Guru' slogans or for keeping their vice-chancellor under siege but for their academic credentials and excellent research," he said.

The institutions which fared well in the annual national rankings will be provided with more funding, enhanced autonomy and other benefits, Javadekar said.

"The educational institutions performing well in the annual ranking will be awarded with more funding or grants, enhanced autonomy and freedom of functioning and various other benefits," he said at the release of the second domestic rankings under the NIRF.

"The policy regarding the same will be announced soon to encourage the spirit of competition and ultimately enhance the quality of education being imparted by the institutions across the country," he said.

The NIRF outlines a methodology to rank institutions across the country. The methodology draws from the overall recommendations and broad understanding arrived at by a core committee set up by the ministry, to identify the broad parameters for ranking various universities and institutions.

The parameters broadly cover teaching, learning and resources, research and professional practices, graduation outcomes, outreach and inclusivity and perception.

IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Bangalore have switched positions on the top management institute list. Last year, the Bangalore institution was placed at the top and IIM Ahmedabad was second.

IIT Madras continued to be at the top in the engineering institutions category.

The JNU administration and students rejoiced over the rank even as the student community slammed the delay in fellowships and other grants to the university.

"JNU stands tall again with its focus on academic excellence. First among central universities," vice-chancellor M. Jagadesh Kumar tweeted.