IN SEPTEMBER, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar gave me an honorary doctor of technology degree. It was the second IIT to accord me this honour. I am, of course, immensely proud of what IIT graduates have contributed to the development of India, and also the world. IITs have become a prestigious brand name in the world.

The honour was conferred on me by Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, in his capacity as a Visitor to the institute. In both his public speech and private discussions, he lamented that no Indian university is now ranked among the top 200 in the world even though, historically, the country has had excellent universities like Takshashila and Nalanda. "Today, we languish behind many countries," he said sadly.

This, of course, is not an unknown problem. Early last year, ex-premier Manmohan Singh noted during a conference of heads of state-run academic universities that "it is a sobering thought that not one Indian university figures in the top 200 universities of the world today".