Is merit losing ground in TG higher education landscape?

Hyderabad: Despite improvements in access to higher education across Telangana, there are concerns over whether merit-driven students are receiving adequate financial support under current education policies.

A closer look at the eligibility data for the PM Vidyalaxmi Scheme, which provides collateral-free and guarantor-free educational loans, reveals that only a handful of state-run Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) meet the criteria set by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) that is used as a yardstick for the scheme.

According to NIRF 2024–25 rankings, only 12 HEIs from Telangana are listed nationally, of which just four state-run institutions are included in the list of Quality Higher Education Institutions (QHEIs) - the key prerequisite for PM Vidyalaxmi loan eligibility. This raises equity concerns, as students from technology, law, medical, and conventional streams in Telangana continue to bear the burden of self-funded education or seek loans that require collateral and guarantors.

The PM Vidyalaxmi Scheme, launched by the central government, targets students admitted on merit-based criteria to institutions ranked within the top 100 (overall and category-specific), top 200 state-governed HEIs, and central government institutions. With a corpus designed to benefit over 22 lakh students annually, the scheme aligns with broader efforts to democratize access to professional education, especially in technical fields.

However, the limited representation of state-run institutions in Telangana’s NIRF rankings hints at structural gaps in competitiveness and academic quality. While institutions like AIIMS Bibinagar, NALSAR University of Law, and NIPER Hyderabad provide accessible avenues for top-performing students, the state’s own educational bodies fall short of qualifying benchmarks. The situation also raises broader policy questions: Has the state prioritised quantity over quality in its higher education expansion? Are talented students missing out due to institutions' inability to rise in national merit-based rankings?

While Telangana reports a higher Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) than the national average, the state-run HEIs are struggling to figure out the national merit-based rankings, resulting in their students being on the receiving end.

Speaking to The Hans India, a former Vice Chancellor of a Telangana State University, pointed out, “A strategic overhaul - focusing on infrastructure, faculty development, and innovation - is essential if Telangana intends to elevate the performance and perception of its public institutions.”

With schemes like PM Vidyalaxmi offering financial flexibility, state intervention is vital to ensure deserving students in Telangana aren’t left behind, merely due to where they study, he pointed out. However, when contacted, Telangana Council of Higher Education (TGCHE) Chairman Prof V Balakista Reddy said: “the council has taken up the issue of improving the NIRF rankings of Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) on a priority basis. The council held two to three meetings with the Vice-Chancellors of the universities. The TGCHE had also organised a meeting with the degree and postgraduate colleges to create awareness about improving the quality of education for NIRF rankings.”

Besides, the State government has been keen to ensure that state-run HEIs in particular and all educational institutions in the state in general step up quality assurance practices to get the NIRF rankings. “The State government asked to focus on the improvement of NIRF rankings, as most of the schemes and funding are increasingly getting linked to the NIRF rankings. It has also assured to release funding for the same to ensure more state-run HEIs qualify for the NIRF rankings,” he added.