NIRF: Acknowledging diversity of higher educational institutions

Dr Mohammed Abdul Raffey

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) developed by the union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) represents a significant step toward standardizing the evaluation of academic institutions in India. The methodology behind the rankings is designed to ensure a transparent, equitable, and comprehensive assessment of higher education institutions across the country.

The framework of assessing institutions is built upon five broad parameters: teaching, learning and resources (TLR), research and professional practice (RP), graduation outcomes (GO), outreach and inclusivity (OI), and perception (PR). Each of these parameters has a specific weightage, with TLR and RP being the most significant, each carrying a weight of 30%, followed by GO at 20%, and OI and PR at 10% each. This distribution reflects the balanced emphasis on both academic excellence and the overall environment provided by the institutions.

To be eligible for ranking, institutions must meet specific criteria. These include having at least 1,000 enrolled students or being a centrally funded institution. Institutions that do not meet these criteria can still participate in discipline-specific rankings. Additionally, schools or departments within universities must register separately to be considered for these specific rankings. The faculty-to-student ratio is 1:10 in medical institutes and 1:20 in the state government universities.

A notable feature of the NIRF methodology is its emphasis on the ease of data collection and transparency. Institutions are required to submit data in a prescribed format, which must also be made available on their websites for public scrutiny. This ensures that the data used for ranking is both accurate and easily verifiable.

The framework also incorporates a robust error and correction policy. Institutions are given an opportunity to review and provide feedback on the raw data before rankings are finalised. Any institution found to have manipulated data risks being removed from the rankings and barred from future participation.

Furthermore, the NIRF framework includes provisions for physical checks and audits to ensure ethical compliance. The rankings are not solely based on self-reported data but are cross verified with third-party sources, especially for research publications and intellectual property metrics.

The NIRF rankings aim to foster a culture of excellence and competition among academic institutions in India. By providing a clear and transparent assessment, the framework helps students, parents, and policymakers make informed decisions about higher education. The higher educational institutes are listed under 16 categories — overall, universities, medical, engineering, management, law, architecture and planning, colleges, research institutions, pharmacy, dental, agriculture and allied sectors, state funded government universities, skill universities, open universities and innovation. This year, as many as 10,885 higher education institutions participated in the NIRF. Last year, the number was 5,543.

(The writer is assistant director, UGC-Malaviya Mission-Teacher Training Centre, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar).