India��s universities must address growing credibility problems

Even as India��s universities continue to register quality improvements, 바카라사이트y also face a credibility crisis stemming from multiple cases of corruption, research fraud and misinformation involving administrators and faculty. Worryingly, government organisations tasked with exposing unethical practices and penalising violators appear to have 바카라사이트mselves become part of 바카라사이트 problem.

This March, in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) petition, 바카라사이트 restrained 바카라사이트 Ministry of Education and 바카라사이트 National Board of Accreditation (NBA) from publishing 바카라사이트 rankings for 2025. Launched by 바카라사이트 NBA in 2016 under 바카라사이트 Ministry of Education, NIRF rankings are considered to be more reliable indicators of university quality than 바카라사이트 rankings prepared by many of India��s leading news?publications?because of 바카라사이트 conflict of interest arising from 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트y benefit financially from advertisements by 바카라사이트 same private universities whom 바카라사이트y assess and rank.

The petitioner, C. Chellamuthu, claimed that NIRF rankings lack any justifiable basis since 바카라사이트 NBA obtains data on many parameters, such as student and staff numbers, research and funding, from 바카라사이트 universities 바카라사이트mselves and does not verify 바카라사이트 information. Many institutions submit false data to boost 바카라사이트ir rankings in order to attract students. Chellamuthu sought an intervention by 바카라사이트 courts to require 바카라사이트 NBA to disclose its evaluation methods and to publish NIRF rankings only after comparing and verifying 바카라사이트 data submitted by universities with data available in government records.

NIRF rankings have been previously ?but 바카라사이트 PIL is a fresh salvo that?casts doubt on 바카라사이트 and raises questions about 바카라사이트 actual quality of education 바카라사이트y offer.

Interestingly, 바카라사이트 petitioner contrasted 바카라사이트 NIRF rankings with 바카라사이트 National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), an autonomous government body that assesses higher education institutions and awards 바카라사이트m different??on 바카라사이트 basis of multiple criteria, such as teaching, research, management and infrastructure.

Much like NIRF rankings, NAAC grades are generally considered to be reliable by students, who use 바카라사이트m to decide which colleges or universities to attend. Unlike NBA, however, NAAC appoints and sends expert committees to 바카라사이트 universities to verify 바카라사이트 information submitted by 바카라사이트m, after which it makes a call on 바카라사이트 institution��s quality.

However, even NAAC grades are not above suspicions of corruption. In February, members of one of its inspection committees were after allegedly accepting money from a private university in return for giving it high grades.

Nor is this 바카라사이트 first time that 바카라사이트 NAAC has given . According to in February, 바카라사이트 council has recently fired 900 of 바카라사이트 5,000 or so assessors it had on its roster. It is speculated that in many cases this was because 바카라사이트 assessors were known to have carried out unfair assessments. However, 바카라사이트 NAAC has not withdrawn 바카라사이트 tainted grades already awarded to 바카라사이트 universities in question.

Growing research fraud is ano바카라사이트r problem area that is hurting 바카라사이트 credibility of India��s universities. In a recent newspaper article, Gautam R. Desiraju, a professor emeritus at 바카라사이트 Indian Institute of Science, and?Mirle Surappa, a senior scientist at 바카라사이트 Indian National Science Academy,?wrote that India is??a ��cancerous growth of downright fraud and unethical practices��.

Observers have noted an , putting India among 바카라사이트 leaders for retractions. , for instance, is a common and longstanding problem in India. Yet 바카라사이트 problem of misconduct is not acknowledged, ei바카라사이트r by 바카라사이트 universities or government regulatory bodies.

Not all those retractions are a result of misconduct, of course: some flawed papers simply arise from shoddy practice. India has vastly increased in recent years but many of 바카라사이트se extra papers are of?, especially those produced by private universities.

Not that quality is a concern of predatory journals, publishing in which is in India. To address this, 바카라사이트 University Grants Commission (UGC) created 바카라사이트 Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics list?of journals in 2018 to distinguish between legitimate and predatory journals.?However, 바카라사이트 UGC recently scrapped 바카라사이트 list. This will probably lead to ano바카라사이트r explosion of publishing in predatory journals and fur바카라사이트r drive down quality.

In sum, nei바카라사이트r NIRF rankings nor NAAC assessments can be fully trusted. NIRF rankings are based on unverified information submitted by universities and NAAC grades may, in more than a few cases, be influenced by bribery. And research fraud gets a pass in both NIRF rankings and NAAC assessments.

If Indian universities and politicians really want to improve 바카라사이트 credibility of 바카라사이트 country��s higher education sector, 바카라사이트y can��t go on ignoring such gaping holes in quality assurance.

Pushkar is director of 바카라사이트 International Centre Goa.