The Indian Institute of Technology, Patna (IIT-P) has emerged as Bihar’s brightest spot in higher education, featuring prominently in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2025. The rankings, released on Thursday, reveal IIT-P as the only institution from Bihar to make it into the top 100 in the overall category.
IIT-P secured 36th position overall, a remarkable improvement from 73rd place in 2024. The institute also ranked 19th among engineering institutions and 39th among research institutions, reflecting its growing academic and research capabilities. The only other engineering college from Bihar in the NIRF top 100 is NIT Patna, which is placed 53rd.
Mixed Performance Across Sectors
While IIT-P’s rise has been notable, other Bihar institutions showed mixed results. AIIMS Patna, which had been in the overall top 100 last year, slipped into the 101-150 rank band, though it maintained its 27th spot among medical colleges.
In legal education, Chanakya National Law University (Patna) and Central University of South Bihar (CUSB), Gaya were ranked 17th and 23rd respectively in the top 40 law institutions, with NLU Delhi and NLU Bangalore continuing to dominate the top positions.
CUSB also featured in the top 100 pharmacy institutions, ranking 63rd, while NIPER Hajipur stood at 30th. Among management institutions, IIM Bodh Gaya was ranked 31st, and Amity University, Patna fell within the 101-125 rank band.
Agriculture colleges in Bihar saw Rajendra Prasad Central Agriculture University and Bihar Agriculture University ranked 14th and 36th among 40 colleges, though Rajendra Prasad University was in the 101-150 band for universities. Among colleges, Patna Women’s College was the only institution in the 101-159 rank band.
A Reality Check for State Institutions
The NIRF results also highlight the systemic challenges facing Bihar’s higher education, especially state-run universities and colleges, which failed to feature in the top 100 rankings. Even Patna University, the state’s premier and seventh oldest university, did not make it into the 51-100 band for state public universities this year, after being listed in 2024.
Experts say the rankings reflect long-standing governance and quality issues. “Bihar institutions have witnessed systemic decline over the years and cosmetic treatment will not serve the purpose,” said Professor N.K. Chaudhary, a social analyst. “It is not that the state institutions cannot improve, but the problem is nobody is interested beyond investment in infrastructure. Quality leadership has been thoroughly lacking, and this has a cascading effect.”
Legacy vs. Modern Challenges
Bihar, historically home to Nalanda and Vikramshila Universities, once attracted scholars from across the globe. Today, its central institutions, such as IIT-P and NIT Patna, are keeping the state’s educational aspirations alive, while state-run universities struggle to regain relevance in India’s competitive academic landscape.
The NIRF 2025 rankings underscore the contrast between Bihar’s historical legacy and current institutional challenges, making IIT-P’s rise a rare but encouraging success story.
