New Delhi, October 2025:
In a landmark move to uphold academic integrity and research quality, the Ministry of Education has announced that the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) will now implement negative marking for cases of research misconduct, plagiarism, and paper retractions.
This new rule, announced under the direction of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, aims to ensure that only institutions with ethical and authentic research practices are rewarded in national rankings. The decision follows growing concerns about inflated research metrics and unethical publishing practices among some higher education institutions.
According to NIRF officials, the new framework will deduct points from institutions found involved in data fabrication, plagiarism, or retracted research publications. The penalty will directly affect the “Research and Professional Practice” parameter, which holds significant weight in the overall NIRF score.
Education experts believe this reform will encourage universities to prioritize quality over quantity in their research output and promote a culture of transparency, accountability, and originality in academic work.
Minister Pradhan emphasized that this initiative is a step toward aligning Indian higher education with global standards of research ethics. “Research should be driven by curiosity and contribution, not by rankings. Integrity will now be rewarded; misconduct will carry a cost,” he said during the announcement.
The policy is expected to be implemented in the upcoming NIRF Ranking 2026 cycle. The Ministry also plans to collaborate with the UGC and AICTE to set up an integrated database to monitor and verify publications and retractions across institutions.
By embedding ethical accountability within the ranking process, the government hopes to strengthen India’s position as a credible global hub for quality research and innovation.
