Savitribai Phule Pune University Slips to 91st in NIRF Rankings: Challenges and Future Plans

Pune, 4th September 2025: Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), once hailed as the ‘Oxford of the East’, has witnessed a significant drop in the latest National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) report released on Thursday by the Union Ministry of Education.

The university, which was ranked 37th among the country’s top 100 institutions in 2024, has slipped to 91st position this year. In the ranking of the country’s top 100 universities, Pune University has fallen to 56th place. This marks the sixth consecutive year of decline for the institution in the NIRF rankings.

Private and reputed universities in Pune have outperformed Pune University this year. Symbiosis International University secured the 40th position among the top 100 institutions, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) ranked 55th, and Dr. D. Y. Patil University took the 71st spot. Last year, Pune University had held 37th position among the best 100 institutions and 23rd among the best 100 universities in the country.

In the NIRF ranking of public state universities, Pune University has also seen a decline, moving from 3rd place last year to 11th this year. Out of 10 institutions from Maharashtra featured in the top 100 educational institutions nationwide, five are from Mumbai, four from Pune, and one from Nagpur.

The NIRF evaluates institutions across 17 categories, including universities, colleges, research institutes, engineering, management, medical, law, agriculture, innovation, and sustainability. Rankings are based on parameters such as research output, inclusiveness, graduate outcomes, and quality of education.

Addressing the drop in rankings, Dr. Suresh Gosavi, Vice Chancellor of SPPU, said: “The administration has noted the decline in our NIRF ranking. Efforts will be made to improve the university’s performance. Positive steps are being taken, including the ongoing recruitment of professors. Once this process is completed, our faculty-student ratio and research output will improve significantly.”

The university cited a key reason for the decline as the reduction in the number of professors. Several senior faculty members have retired over the past one to two years, affecting the faculty-student ratio (FSR), a critical factor in the ranking. Additionally, the introduction of new courses under the National Education Policy has increased student enrollment, further straining the FSR. The retirement of experienced researchers has also led to a drop in the number of research publications.

With these corrective measures, Pune University aims to regain its position among the top educational institutions in the country in the coming years.