NEW DELHI: The QS World University Rankings has ranked Delhi University among the 100 best places to study English. Even as Indian institutions of higher education have drawn flak for failing to make the top 200 in overall university rankings, DU’s English department features in the 51-100 group in QS’ annual survey.

English (or language) departments of three other Indian universities have made QS’ list by subject (in this case, English language and literature) — Jawaharlal Nehru University, University of Calcutta and University of Hyderabad. But unlike DU’s department, they are in the 151-200 ranks group.

In English teaching , DU is in the same league as Pennsylvania State University , St Andrew’s University and University of Sussex — all in the 51-100 category. DU’s English is better than that of Purdue University , Nottingham University and University of Liverpool . Only the first 50 in the list (topped by Cambridge University ) have been ranked individually.

Teachers cite a number of reasons for the success of DU’s English department. "First, it’s the profile of the department in terms of research and publications. We are on top in subaltern studies, in post-colonial studies. Then, the numbers — we have 600 MA students, of whom 10-15 are as good as anybody," says a professor. He adds that India is not considered modern for technology but for the ideas of democracy and freedom, and those belong to the domain of humanities. The department is a part of the University Grants Commission’s Special Assistance Programme.

"It is a matter of great happiness," says another member of the department, "but we should be aiming even higher." They can allow themselves only a bit of smugness as, ironically, they have been skeptical of such lists. "Such rankings are quite arbitrary," says a professor right after sharing the "very nice" piece of news.

(The QS World University Rankings is known to be one of the three most influential and widely observed international university rankings, along with the Times Higher Education World University Rankings and the Academic Ranking of World Universities.)

