‘Great news for education sector…’: PM Modi as 54 Indian institutions feature in QS World University 2026 Rankings

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a social media post on Thursday, 19 June 2025, congratulated Indian higher education institutions (HEIs) for being featured in the QS World University 2026 Rankings, focusing on how this is great news for the Indian education sector and the nation's youth.

“The QS World University 2026 Rankings bring great news for our education sector. Our Government is committed to furthering research and innovation ecosystems for the benefit of India’s youth,” said PM Modi in his post on the platform X.  

What are QS World University 2026 Rankings?

According to multiple media reports, the QS World University 2026 Rankings list features over 1,500 universities from more than 100 locations around the world. The list features top education institutes like Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Imperial College of London, among many others. 

The Ministry of Education, in a social media post on Tuesday, announced that 54 Indian institutions have been listed in the QS World University 2026 Rankings. This marks a significant increase from 11 institutions in 2024.

“From just 11 universities in 2014 to 54 in the latest rankings, this five-fold jump is a testament to the transformative educational reforms ushered by PM @narendramodi ji’s govt in the last decade,” said Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan in another post on X.

Effect of NEP

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also cited this rise as a result of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which is changing India's educational landscape. 

“Confident that with NEP’s thrust on research, innovation and internationalisation, more Indian HEIs will scale global excellence in the times ahead,” said Pradhan in his post on X.

The Minister also cited that this news is a matter of “immense pride” that India is becoming the fastest-growing education system among the G20 countries. Pradhan said that India is also the fourth most represented nation on the education front after the US, the UK and China.

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, IIT Bombay, IIT Madras, IIT Kharagpur, IISc Bangalore, Delhi University, Anna University and IIT Kanpur are amongst the top Indian institutes listed in the QS World University 2026 Rankings list.