The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) is now a calenderised annual event, eagerly awaited by Indian Higher Education Institutions (HEI) and its stakeholders. Released on 5th September, this year NIRF completes a continuous decade. As has become a practice, in this edition, NIRF added a new category on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) category, aligning with global benchmarks. It also introduced negative marking for retracted articles, placing stronger emphasis on academic integrity and quality.
Launched in 2015 by the Ministry of Education, NIRF uses five parameters – Teaching, Learning & Resources, Research and Professional Practice, Graduation Outcomes, Outreach and Inclusivity, and Perception. At a juncture when Indian Institutions could not compete in popular global rankings, NIRF provided a data-driven and credible alternative.
Over the past ten editions, NIRF has steadily expanded in scope to cover disciplines such as engineering, medicine, management, pharmacy, dental, architecture, law and agriculture. Further it recognizes research institutions and also covers parallel formats such as open and skills universities. Its increasing acceptance and popularity is evident from how participation has surged: from around 2,426 institutions in 2016 to 7,692 in 2025.
NIRF has also made significant strides in going beyond the academic and research excellence to lay emphasis on sectoral diversity, inclusivity, innovation and student outcomes. Between Academic Year (AY) ‘18 and AY’23, NIRF top 25 ranked institutions have doubled their research projects and increased funding by 54%.
This uptick in research is seen across the NIRF Top 100 institutions. The top 25 have nearly doubled the average ticket size of their consultancy engagements. Patent filings by universities have tripled - from about 7,400 in FY22 to over 23,000 in FY24. As a result, today, India is among the top six countries globally for patent filings. India’s share of global research publications rose from 3.5% in 2017 to 5.2% in 2024, making it the fourth-largest contributor worldwide.
On the student enrolments in the NIRF Top 100 institutions rose 24% in five years, with the top 25 alone expanding nearly 48%. PhD enrolments and graduates have grown steadily. Median salaries of students passing out of the NIRF Top 100 institutions have steadily increased (it has nearly doubled for the top 25 ranked institutions).
Now these changes have also reflected in Indian HEIs performance in global rankings. In the QS World University Rankings 2026, India is the fourth most represented country with 54 ranked institutions, which is a fivefold increase from 2015.
While NIRF has established itself as a credible benchmark, it continues to evolve amidst certain challenges and limitations. In the area of research, quantity often outweighs quality, creating a publication driven culture rather than breakthrough innovation.
The “peer perception” parameter has sparked discussion, as it may present challenges for public institutions. Similarly, it will be difficult for newer or regional institutions to compete with older, more established universities.
Resource disparities also persist – well funded IITs and central universities tend to dominate the rankings. State universities, colleges and rural institutions often face constraints in faculty strength, infrastructure and reporting capacity.
To enhance its relevance, NIRF can benefit by refining its methodology by placing greater weight on research quality, employability and global collaborations. Integrating long-term measures of student success, industry partnerships and internationalisation will make rankings more forward looking.
To conclude, NIRF is entering into the next decade wherein credibility, comprehensiveness and consistency will be essential parameters. As the framework evolves, it must continue to adapt to the dynamic landscape of higher education, ensuring that institutions are evaluated on both quantitative and qualitative metrics.
A version of this article was published by The Financial Express on September 08, 2025. The same can be read here
