NIRF 2024: Ranking Parameters; introduction of new categories

NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Education has released the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) Rankings 2024, now available on the official NIRF website at nirfindia.org. This ninth edition of the rankings saw participation from 10,885 institutions, marking a significant 200% increase since the framework’s inception in 2016.

The NIRF framework continues to stand out for its rigorous approach to ranking institutions across five broad parameters:
1) Teaching, Learning and Resources (TLR)
2)  Research and Professional Practice (RP)
3) Graduation Outcome (GO)
4) Outreach and Inclusivity (O&I)
5) Perception (PR).

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Each category is meticulously evaluated using a set of sub-parameters:
Key Parameters and Weightage:

1. Teaching, Learning & Resources (TLR) – 30%:This includes student strength, faculty-student ratio, faculty with Ph.D., financial resources and utilization, and a new emphasis on online education and regional languages.

2. Research and Professional Practice (RP) – 30%: This focuses on the quantity and impact of publications, citations, patents, and research projects, with an added emphasis on contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

3. Graduation Outcome (GO) – 20%: This parameter assesses placement rates, median salaries, Ph.D. output, and university examination results.

4. Outreach and Inclusivity (O&I) – 10%: This evaluates region and gender diversity, representation of economically and socially challenged students, and support for physically challenged students.

5. Perception (PR) – 10%: This gauges the perception of academic peers and employers, although NIRF continues to prioritize objective data over subjective perceptions, distinguishing itself from global ranking systems.

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NIRF Ranking Categories

The latest NIRF rankings have introduced three new categories: Open Universities, Skill Universities, and State Public Universities (state-funded government institutions). Previously, the categories were limited to Overall, Colleges, Universities, and Research Institutions.

The subject domains have also been expanded and now include Engineering, Management, Pharmacy, Law, Medical, Architecture and Planning, Dental, and Agriculture and Allied Sectors.

This year, two significant criteria changes were made: for medical colleges, the faculty-to-student ratio was adjusted from 1:15 to 1:10, and for state-funded government institutions, it was revised from 1:20 to 1:15.

“Recognizing the growing importance of carbon neutrality and sustainability, a Sustainability Ranking will be introduced next year,” announced Anil Sahasrabuddhe, Chairman of the National Board of Accreditation (NBA), which oversees the preparation of the NIRF rankings.