NIRF 2026 ranking delayed as NBA scrutinises institutes over retracted research papers: Report
A surge in retracted research papers has placed several higher education institutions under government scrutiny during the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) assessment process. The issue has also contributed to a delay in releasing the 2026 ranking, which is usually announced between August and September,
The National Board of Accreditation (NBA), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Education, is taking strict action against institutions with compromised publications. According to The Print, official sources indicate that repeat offenders could face complete debarment from future NIRF ranking cycles.
In the previous year's assessment, the NIRF introduced a penalty system by deducting marks from publication and citation sources for retracted papers. However, with the flagged cases rising sharply this year, officials are taking a firmer stand to safeguard academic integrity across Indian academic institutions.
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NIRF 2026: Govt action on academic misconduct
A senior government official told The Print that a large number of retraced paper cases were flagged during the current evaluation. The official stated “ There are a large number of cases of retracted research papers flagged this year, and the NBA is scrutinising them. Institutions are being warned, and negative marking will be applied in the assessment process and the rankings’.
The official added that the government aims to enforce zero tolerance for the unethical publishing practices like data manipulation, plagiarism, or any fraudulent peer reviews. Explaining this, the official also explained to The Print, “A clear message was sent last year that there is no space for plagiarism, research misconduct, or fake or manipulated peer review. This year, the NIRF ranking process is very strict on this and is planning to debar repeated offenders from next year”.
Research publications are attributed to institutions based on the official affiliations listed by their faculty members and scholars.
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NIRF 2026: Escalating paper retractions in India
Paper retractions occur when a journal formally withdraws a published study because of factors like methodology, data or review process is unethical or unreliable. While some retractions result from errors, flawed methodology or some intentional misconducts like plagiarism, fake peer reviews or duplicate publications.
According to The Print, the global research database Retraction Watch, India had 887 paper retractions in 2025. That made it number two in the world behind China, which had 1,701 retractions. In 2023, India had 2,737 retractions, a 2.5 times increase between 2020 and 2022 as compared to previous years.
A report in the journal Nature in February 2025 had also highlighted a visible rise in retractions from Indian institutes over five years. The NBA is still reviewing submissions as it finalizes the next ranking list.