4 min readMay 25, 2026 06:18 AM IST First published on: May 25, 2026 at 06:18 AM ISTResearch involves original, creative, patient investigations and analyses to generate new knowledge. The findings are typically published in research journals following peer review by experts. Teaching and research at higher educational institutions (HEIs) are symbiotic, although hiring, promotions, awards, funding, etc. are significantly dependent upon research activity.A higher “rank” encourages students to seek admission at an institution and thus generates greater revenue, and also facilitates enhanced public and private funds. HEIs’ academic ranking on national and international platforms relies heavily on the number of research publications and their citation count, which together contribute 30 per cent of points in India’s official National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) and 50 per cent in the QS World University rankings.AdvertisementThe current quantity-dependent ranking parameters utterly fail to assess the true academic merit of research and teaching. In fact, following Goodhart’s law that any measure ceases to be effective once it becomes a target, the current rankings are damaging the country’s academic ecosystem.Careful analysis of India’s apparent rise in the global research scenario reflects this damage. In recent years, India has ranked third, behind the US and China, in the number of research publications, but unfortunately stands second in published papers being retracted for unethical practices. While contributing 5 per cent of global research publications, India accounted for 20 per cent of retractions in 2025. Several institutions securing top ranks have higher retractions for research misconduct. Additionally, numerous “research papers” from India appear in huge numbers in journals of dubious quality. With enhanced publication and citation counts being targets, institutions push their faculty to publish more. This has led to the emergence of “predatory” and “paper-mill” journals, citation cartels and financial incentives for so-called adjunct/visiting faculty or collaborators.The “Stanford/Elsevier” 2025 list of the world’s “top 2 per cent scientists”, widely “acclaimed” in India, also reveals serious flaws. It considers publication and citation numbers to be a proxy for research quality. Twelve per cent of Indian researchers in this list have suffered at least one retraction, with one having more than 40. While this list includes 6,000-plus Indian researchers, the “top 1 per cent researchers” list by Clarivate Analytics, which penalises retractions and other misconduct, has just five.AdvertisementEmphasis on research metrics has staggering financial costs, too. In the misplaced hope of improving research quality, India’s public universities spend nearly Rs 2,000 crore annually on research journal subscriptions, besides paying, often to poor-quality journals, huge publication charges. The inclusion of private universities will magnify this amount.What should be done?A fair, responsible, transparent and quality-based assessment of individual and institutional research must replace the current rankings on numerical parameters. Rather than total numbers, the quality and genuine impact of a select few papers should be critically assessed. Unethical self-citations (institutional and individual) and retractions for unethical practices must be severely penalised. The recent introduction of a “mild” penalty for retractions by NIRF is a welcome beginning, but more stringent action is essential. Unusually large numbers of publications should be examined for possible “paper-mill” activity.you may likeData for regular, contractual and visiting/adjunct faculty reported by HEIs need rigorous verification since these numbers are often unethically boosted. Student outcomes (for example, alumni performance) need greater emphasis while assessing teaching quality since HEIs are expected to prepare questioning minds.India’s size and diversity necessitate an autonomous Research Integrity Office to oversee and enforce ethical teaching and research practices. Promotion, identification and recognition of high-quality teaching and research across the academic ecosystem should receive the highest priority so that India’s enormous talent effectively takes the country to a truly leading position.The writers are board members of India Research Watch, which advocates for academic ethics in India. This article is endorsed by the full board