Madurai: The Madurai Bench of the High Court has dismissed a petition seeking a ban on the publication of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) rankings for higher education institutions in India.

The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed by Chhatrapati Chellamuthu from Dindigul district, challenging the publication of NIRF rankings. The petitioner argued that the rankings, published annually by the Union Ministry of Education, were based on flawed criteria, including teaching, student enrollment, proficiency, and employability. He claimed that colleges not adhering to these standards were often ranked at the top, leading to a lack of transparency and malpractices. This, he contended, caused confusion among students, making it difficult to select the right institutions.

The petitioner requested that the NIRF rankings for 2025 be banned, and that the rankings be published only after verifying critical documents, such as admission approvals, academic marks, and Income Tax Department audits.

During the hearing, Justices J. Nisha Banu and S. Srimati noted that the central government had filed a reply stating that the rankings are compiled by experts following scientific standards. The bench observed that the petitioner had not submitted any statistical data to support his claims. It was also noted that objections could be raised after the release of the rankings.

The bench dismissed the petition, stating that the issue could be addressed post-release of the list.