The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) is set for a major change. For the first time, negative marking will be introduced for research-related malpractice, including retracted papers and citations of tainted research, as reported by PTI.
The announcement came during the release of the 10th edition of the NIRF rankings by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Since its inception in 2015, NIRF has never included negative weightage in its evaluation process.
What will change?
Anil Sahasrabudhe, chairman of the National Board of Accreditation (NBA), which manages NIRF, explained that penalties will be built into the system to discourage manipulation and poor-quality research.
“For the first time, penalties are being formally stitched into the ranking methodology to act against research malpractice and misrepresentation of data. The negative marking system will soon be declared and draft norms are being readied,” Sahasrabudhe said.
Currently, NIRF assesses institutions on five key parameters: teaching and learning, graduation outcomes, research, outreach and perception. With more than 8,700 institutions participating in 2024, its rankings have become a widely used reference point for students, recruiters, and policymakers.
Why the change matters
Officials noted that many institutions have seen large numbers of papers retracted in recent years, which undermines their credibility. Yet, without any penalties, such institutes were still moving up in rankings.
Global rankings like QS and Times Higher Education (THE) also do not factor in retractions, raising concerns about the authenticity of scores.
The issue even reached the Madras High Court earlier this year, when a PIL questioned the transparency of NIRF rankings, arguing that they relied “merely on self-reported data by institutions” without external verification.
While the court briefly stayed the rankings, the Centre defended the system, saying it followed a “scientific method” developed by experts, added PTI.
The draft framework for negative marking is expected to be rolled out soon. Officials believe this step will push institutions towards better research practices and accountability.