Jindal Global Law School (JGLS) Enters Global Top 100 In The World

Sonipat, Haryana, 4th March 2021: The Jindal Global Law School (JGLS) of O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) is now ranked 76 out of all law schools globally in the QS World University Rankings by Subject (Law) 2021. This makes JGLS the number one law school in India once again, and the only Indian Law School to be ranked this year.

• JGLS is India’s Number One Law School, and the only Indian Law School to be ranked in the QS World University Rankings by Subject (Law) 2021.
• Jindal Global Law School (JGLS) is now ranked 76 globally by the QS World University Rankings by Subject (Law) 2021.
• Out of 976 that were considered globally by QS, 320 law schools were ranked. JGLS is the only law school to be ranked in India.
• JGLS is ranked 33 and 58 in the world in the parameters of ‘Employer Reputation’ and ‘Academic Reputation’ respectively in the QS World University Ranking by subject 2021.
• JGLS’s current global rank of 76 compared to the previous rank in the 101-150 bracket is driven by a 45% increase in research citation and a 25% increase in the H-index of research output of JGLS.
• JGLS is now ranked alongside highly reputable law schools including the University of Bristol, the University of Manchester, and George Washington University.
• JGLS is ranked above some leading law schools including the University of Nottingham, University of Warwick, University of Leeds, Griffith University, York University, Cardiff University, and SOAS in the UK.
• Overall, JGU scored in 7 subjects in the ‘Social Science & Management’ category and in 2 subjects in the ‘Arts & Humanities’ category. JGU academic reputation in ‘Social Sciences & Management’ increased by 10% compared to the last year, which reflects the scholarly impact of research done by the faculty members of JGU.

Out of 976 law schools considered globally, only 320 made it to the QS World University Rankings by Subject (Law) 2021. The number of law schools around the world that are considered in these prestigious rankings is substantially more than institutions considered in other subject areas, which highlights the intense competition among law schools in the world.  JGLS, as the first and the only Indian law school to find a place this year, puts India on the global map for legal education and higher education.

With a global rank of 76 this year, JGLS has jumped from the 101-150 bracket in the previous year. JGLS is ranked 33 and 58 in the world in ‘Employer Reputation’ and ‘Academic Reputation’ respectively, which are the two most important parameters in the QS World University Ranking by Subject. Jindal Global Law School’s significant improvement from the last year is driven by a 45% increase in research citation and a 25% increase in the H-index of research output of JGLS.

Reacting to this remarkable achievement, Mr. Naveen Jindal, Founding Chancellor, O.P. Jindal Global University, said, “The year 2020 has been a challenging year for higher education institutions worldwide. O.P. Jindal Global University has not only demonstrated transformation and resilience in these difficult times but also led the path towards academic excellence. JGLS has risen in the ranks to enter the top 100 in the QS World University Rankings by Subject this year. As the only law school in India to feature in these rankings, it gives me great pride to see Jindal Global Law School feature among the world’s finest law schools. JGLS has put India on the world map of providing high-quality legal education, research and training.”

Chancellor Mr. Jindal added that “As a twelve-year-old university, this achievement is commendable. I congratulate all the members of our JGU family for making this possible through their commitment, dedication, team-work and perseverance in building a world-class institution. It is indeed a proud moment to be able to contribute consistently to the building of our country and the educational landscape. I congratulate our Vice-Chancellor, Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, and his outstanding colleagues in JGU and JGLS for bringing this important distinction to India.”

To produce the rankings for this year, QS analysed close to 14 million unique scholarly papers, producing more than 80 million citations. 1453 institutions were ranked across 51 subjects in 5 broad subject areas (including social sciences which include law), resulting in over 16,981 published entries. These figures reflect the scale behind this huge undertaking that QS carried out in order to produce the 2021 Subject Rankings and the magnitude of global competition.

Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, Founding Vice-Chancellor, O.P. Jindal Global University welcomed this important milestone and said, “The news of JGLS being ranked 76 in the world is not only a significant achievement for JGU but is also an extraordinary moment for Indian legal education. Achieving a place in the top 100 law schools in the world and sharing the stage with the world’s leading universities testifies JGU’s aspiration to be a world-class university. This remarkable achievement of rising from the 101-150 rank band last year to 76th position this year in the coveted QS World University Rankings by Subject (Law) 2021 is a landmark development in our relatively short institutional journey.”

Dr Raj Kumar added that “Our continuous efforts will be to further deepen our classroom instruction, instructional methods, global cooperation and quality of research, and elevate the quality of legal education in India. Being recognized as an ‘Institution of Eminence’ by the Government of India this academic year, along with the global lead rankings, only strengthens our faith in our ability to contribute positively to the higher education landscape of India”. 

Established in 2009, JGU is a private, non-profit university that is committed to promoting social sciences, arts and the humanities. Entering the elite top 100 of the world in the competitive discipline of law breaks longstanding stereotypes and prejudices about the ability of private universities to become world-class to place India on the world map.

Reminiscing over JGLS’ short journey since establishment in 2009, Professor Raj Kumar said, “JGLS being the first school at JGU makes this a very special moment. Particularly, as we started 2020 with one of the most unprecedented crises of our times, to imagine that we would use this as an opportunity to not just overcome the challenges, but take a leap forward to achieve this is truly very humbling, and fills me with a great sense of gratitude today I am grateful to the founding Chancellor and benefactor, Mr. Naveen Jindal for his vision, leadership and philanthropic support that brought us to where we are today. I deeply appreciate the outstanding contributions of my colleagues and the leadership team of JGLS, as well as the faculty for bringing a world-class learning experience to the students, and of course our students who have demonstrated a deep sense of dedication and commitment to their education.” 

Furthermore, JGU scored in 9 out of 51 subjects within two broad areas of social science & management (7 out of 9) and arts & humanities (2 out of 9). These subjects include Business & Management Studies, Economics, Law, Social Policy, Sociology, Art & Design and Performing Arts. Overall, JGU’s score in academic reputation in ‘Social Sciences’ increased by 10%, which is a testament to the phenomenal academic achievement and scholarly impact of the work of JGU’s faculty.

On this monumental accomplishment, Professor (Dr.) S.G. Sreejith, Executive Dean, JGLS said, “JGLS started with 100 students and we have grown to over 4000 students in about a decade. During this period, we remain committed to our vision to bring world-class legal education to Indian students and to provide them with a global perspective on law and legal developments. Today, JGLS being ranked alongside highly reputable law schools from where several of our own faculty members have graduated. In fact, it is very humbling for us to see that this JGLS has been able to surge ahead of some leading law schools of the world. This is humbling and it gives our vision a greater impetus to continue to enhance the experience of students and faculty members.” 

Professor Dabiru Sridhar Patnaik, Registrar, JGU, while responding to this achievement said, “JGU has always aspired to become a world-class university in India with a mission to create global leaders of tomorrow. The news of JGLS being ranked as the 76th best law school in the world is an important milestone for us. This is a recognition of our pursuit of excellence in the field of legal education where our decade-long journey has culminated in ten inter-disciplinary schools, with more than 6600 students and over 830 full-time faculty members.”

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