NIRF 2025 Rankings: New SDG Category Introduced, Negative Marking for Retracted Research Papers

New Delhi- The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2025 rankings are expected to be released in the first week of August, following official confirmation from the National Board of Accreditation (NBA). The rankings, issued annually by the Ministry of Education, assess higher education institutions across India on multiple parameters.

This year, the framework has undergone significant revisions, including the introduction of a new Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) category and the implementation of negative marking for retracted research papers—a first in the ranking’s history.

What’s New in NIRF 2025?

The major highlights of the updated framework include:

1. SDG Category:
   A new ranking metric aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals has been introduced, signaling India’s growing focus on sustainability and social responsibility in education.

2. Negative Marking for Retracted Papers:
   Under the “Research and Professional Practices” parameter, institutions will now face penalties for research paper retractions. A formula has been developed to apply negative weightage based on either the number or percentage of retracted publications.

   NBA Chairperson Anil Sahasrabudhe stated that while the penalties this year will be minimal, the severity of scoring deductions will increase in future editions, pushing institutions toward improved academic integrity.

The Research and Professional Practices section has been updated to include:

• Citation quality (excluding self-citations)

• Publication volume

• Retraction-based penalties

• Open-access research transparency

This move is seen as an effort to promote ethical publishing practices and prevent manipulation of research metrics.

NIRF ranks institutions based on five key parameters:

1. Teaching, Learning & Resources

2. Research and Professional Practices

3. Graduation Outcomes

4. Outreach and Inclusivity

5. Perception

The process includes:

• Data submission through the Data Capturing System (DCS)

• Public display of data on institutional websites

• Third-party validation

• Peer perception surveys

Stakeholders, including the public, are invited to submit feedback before final rankings are released.

The 2024 NIRF rankings saw several major updates:

• Inclusion of Open Universities and State Public Universities as new categories.

• Removal of self-citations from research impact scoring.

• New emphasis on Innovation and Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS).

• Adjustment of faculty-student ratios (FSR) for medical and state public universities.

• Initial introduction of sustainability-linked parameters, aligned with the G20 Mission LiFE initiative.

• Emphasis on regional languages and multi-entry/exit systems in curriculum design.

Earlier in 2025, the Madras High Court issued an interim restraint on publishing the NIRF 2025 rankings. This followed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) questioning the framework’s transparency and reliability, suggesting it could mislead students and adversely affect higher education quality.

While the order did not fully halt the process, it has intensified calls for greater methodological clarity and accountability.

With the addition of SDG metrics and a stronger stance on research integrity, NIRF 2025 marks a shift toward a more globally aligned and ethically robust ranking system. As India’s higher education ecosystem evolves, so too must the metrics used to measure its excellence.