New Delhi: Rankings of higher education institutions under the ninth edition of the National Institutional Ranking Framework will be announced on August 12, Union education ministry officials said on Monday.

The annual rankings are usually announced in April but have been delayed this year.

"The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) rankings will be announced at 3 pm on August 12," a senior ministry official said.

Last year, the Indian Institute of Technology - Madras continued its dominance as the best higher education institution in the country as it secured the top spot for the fifth consecutive year.

The ranking framework evaluates institutions on five broad generic groups of parameters of teaching, learning and resources, research and professional practice, graduation outcomes, outreach and inclusivity and perception.

The ranks are assigned based on the total sum of marks assigned for each of these five broad groups of parameters.