Mumbai: The Maharashtra government on Friday announced a new initiative aimed at improving the academic standards of state-funded universities. The University Department Ranking Framework (UDRF) has been introduced to assess and enhance research output, transparency, and institutional competitiveness among non-agricultural public universities in the state.
According to an official notification from the Higher and Technical Education Department, the ranking system will be aligned with the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) and other accreditation processes.
The initiative seeks to encourage research, optimal utilisation of available resources, and the adoption of innovative educational practices to elevate the standing of Maharashtra’s universities at both national and international levels.
The ranking framework will categorise university departments into various disciplines, including Science and Technology, Commerce and Management, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Interdisciplinary Studies. It will evaluate institutions based on five key criteria: faculty output and research, teaching methodologies, governance practices, student progression, and collaborations with industry and academia.
Mumbai University has already implemented a similar ranking system internally, yielding positive outcomes in research and academic performance. Drawing from this experience, the Maharashtra government now aims to extend the initiative across all state-funded universities.
“Under the ranking framework, each university will submit an annual self-assessment report, which will be reviewed by an external expert committee comprising senior academics, industry professionals, and government representatives. The rankings will be declared annually, and top-performing departments will receive additional grants for research and infrastructure development,” stated a government resolution (GR) issued on Friday.
The UDRF will also support weaker departments by providing recommendations for improvement, ensuring that all institutions strive towards higher academic excellence. To promote transparency, the government has mandated that universities disclose their rankings and assessment reports publicly.
“The UDRF initiative has far reaching impact on Innovation, Academic Reforms and Research Pursuance. The decision to rank the University Departments using the parameters of QS, NIRF, Times Rankings, and NAAC/ NBA Accreditations is a significant step towards fostering academic excellence and innovative research. This evaluation process will motivate the University Departments, Schools and Institutes to excel well by focusing on their potential, and strengths and undertaking continuous upgradation of their capabilities, in line with global quality Academic and Research standards,” said Prof. Ravindra Kulkarni, Vice-Chancellor, University of Mumbai.
Higher education officials believe that this structured approach will not only enhance academic quality but also attract more students and research collaborations, positioning Maharashtra’s universities as leading institutions in India’s education landscape.
The initiative is set to be implemented in the 2025 academic session, with the first ranking results expected by the end of the year.
