The Ministry of Education will release the 10th edition of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2025 tomorrow, September 4. The rankings will be made available on the official website, nirfindia.org.
This year, NIRF introduces two major changes to its evaluation system. For the first time, a negative grading system has been implemented to account for research article retractions, ensuring stricter standards for research quality. Additionally, a new category aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been added, reflecting global benchmarks in higher education.
The 2025 rankings were delayed after the Madras High Court issued a temporary stay following concerns raised over transparency and data integrity in the process. The final list will now be published by the National Board of Accreditation (NBA), which oversees the ranking exercise annually.
NIRF ranks higher education institutions across India on five key parameters: teaching and learning, research and professional practice, graduation outcomes, outreach and inclusivity, and perception. In 2024, institutions were evaluated in 16 categories, including overall, engineering, management, pharmacy, law, medical, agriculture and allied sectors, dental, architecture and planning, research institutions, innovation, skill universities, open universities, state public universities, and colleges. Last year also marked the introduction of three new categories—open universities, skill universities, and state-funded public universities.
Over the past three years, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has consistently held the top position as the best higher education institution in India.