A post by Professor V Ramgopal Rao, group Vice-Chancellor at Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, has spurred criticisms of the university rankings, questioning their credibility.

Professor Rao received quite a lucrative offer from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), via which, in exchange for a hundred dollars, he was asked to complete a Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) survey and provide positive reviews of their Department of Chemical Engineering, in order to improve the global standing of the department.

"A university is offering US$100 to participate in their rankings survey. The #Rankings game just got a lot more... interesting—or should I say, expensive! I see a few thousand faculty names in their email list. Even if a few 100 accept their offer, I guess they will be fine," wrote Rao on his LinkedIn, a professional networking site.

The QS University rankings are one of the leading global rankings that assess the popularity and performance of universities worldwide.

Many users commented on the post highlighting the diminishing relevance of these rankings. Further, many called out the 'unethical business model' and its illegalities. They further underscored that the excellence of an institute must be gauged by other factors like their students, rather than these ratings.