A research paper published in ‘Current Science’ highlights inconsistencies and concerns regarding the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) in India. The paper, authored by former IIT-Delhi director and BITS vice chancellor V Ramgopal Rao, criticizes the NIRF’s reliance on self-reported data, lack of transparency in methodology, and absence of mechanisms to directly assess teaching quality. The paper also flags the significant fluctuations in rankings from year to year, raising questions about the stability and reliability of the framework.