By Abdul Rashid Agwan

In the hype of India Today – Nielsen Survey 2015 declaring Aligarh Muslim University as the 4^th best university of the country after Delhi University, Banaras Hindu University and Jawaharlal Nehru University, it has been grossly missed that Jamia Millia was just slightly behind them all.

The same survey has shown that Jamia Millia has become the 7^th best university in India and 5^th best university of northern India after these four leading institutions of the country. Between Jamia Millia and AMU stands Osmania University and University of Hyderabad in the order.

Whereas the AMU has moved from 6^th position in the India Today – Nielsen Survey 2014 to the current higher rank by jumping two ladders, Jamia Millia has also improved its position from 8^th to the present one. In 2013, these institutions were respectively on 8^th and 9^th positions on the same survey.

Last week, Outlook Fortnightly has also published its rankings of the professional institutions of the country and found the Jamia on high pitch. It mentioned Jamia Millia’s AJ Kidwai MCRC of Media and Communication as the topmost institution in the field of media education for consecutively last three years. Its Faculty of Architecture & Ekistics got the 7^th rank among top 10 colleges of architecture in the country and its Department of Social Work was valued 2^nd among the top 10 social work institutions. Among the top 20 law colleges of the country, Jamia’s Faculty of Law surfaced at the 10^th rank.

The Outlook has mentioned only one faculty of the AMU, Zakir Husain College of Engineering & Technology, which according to the weekly comes up at the 35^th rank while improving from its previous 46^th position.

Coming back to the assessment of India Today – Nielsen Company, their 2015 survey marked Faculty of Engineering & Technology, Jamia Millia Islamia, as the 20^th best engineering institutions in the country and the AMU’s  Zakir Husain College of Engineering & Technology has been noted one step behind, on 21^st rank.

The fact is that both these universities of Muslim background are not only competing with other universities in the race of excellence but they are also contesting each others for the peak position.

[Contributor is an analyst, social activist and author of many books including his recent one, Islam in 21^st Century: The Dynamics of Change and Future-making.]