The MHRD adopted the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), which was introduced on September 29, 2015, by the Honourable Minister of Human Resource Development.
Institutions were ranked by NIRF in 2016 under four general categories: Universities, Engineering, Management, and Pharmacy.
In addition to adding colleges as a separate category and introducing an Overall rating across all five categories, NIRF ranked institutions in 2017 according to six main categories.
This framework provides a mechanism for classifying educational institutions across the nation. In order to determine the broad criteria for rating different colleges and institutions, the process is based on the overall recommendations and broad understanding reached by a Core Committee established by MHRD.
Teaching, Learning & Resources (TLR)
- Student Strength including Doctoral Students (SS)
- Faculty-student ratio with emphasis on permanent faculty (FSR)
- Combined metric for Faculty with PhD (or equivalent) and Experience (FQE)
- Financial Resources and their Utilisation (FRU)
Research and Professional Practice (RP)
- Combined metric for Publications (PU)
- Combined metric for Quality of Publications (QP)
- IPR and Patents: Published and Granted (IPR)
- Footprint of Projects and Professional Practice (FPPP)
Graduation Outcomes (GO)
- Metric for University Examinations (GUE)
- Metric for Number of Ph.D. Students Graduated (GPHD)
Outreach and Inclusivity (OI)
- Percentage of Students from Other States/Countries (Region Diversity RD)
- Percentage of Women (Women Diversity WD)
- Economically and Socially Challenged Students (ESCS)
- Facilities for Physically Challenged Students (PCS)
- Perception (PR) Ranking
Peer Perception (PR)
- Academic Peers and Employers (PR)