According to resources, the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), India’s premier ranking system for higher education institutions, has come under scrutiny for its opaque and often questionable methodologies and continues to remain controversial for a decade now.
One of the most contentious issues is NIRF’s emphasis on peer reputation, as pointed out by Achal Agrawal, an assistant professor at Sitare University. This holds a 10% weightage in the overall ranking. The parameter is determined through a survey, the details of which are not disclosed, leading to concerns
Amit Sheth, the founding director of the Artificial Intelligence Institute at the University of Southern Carolina (AIISC), expressed his disbelief in the comments, saying, “Had never heard of 21, 23, 24, 25, 27, …. and they get ranked above BITS-Pilani? What cr*p!”
Jayanta Sinha, the head of operations at Elcomponics Aerob Technologies, noted that private universities often focus more on paperwork than actual education. “In the name of research, faculties are forced to submit papers in all conferences that are being organised by multiple departments of the same university over the year. This practice artificially inflates rankings without reflecting true academic quality.
Ripudaman Singh, an IIT Guwahati alumnus, humorously notes, “NIRF ranking is weird. World ranking seems better to me. VIT is above BITS, BHU, and IIT G. Everyone knows why.”
The flawed NIRF rankings have significant repercussions for students and the broader higher education system in India. Prospective students and their families often rely heavily on these rankings when making decisions about which colleges to attend.
