SPPU's NIRF Submission Shows Serious Data Inaccuracies
The prestigious Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) has come under scrutiny for submitting seriously flawed data to the National Institute Ranking Framework (NIRF) for 2025. An investigation by The Indian Express has revealed that the university listed a deceased professor and numerous former faculty members as current employees, while also misrepresenting the educational qualifications of several professors.
The most shocking finding involves Professor Bhoumik Deshmukh from the Department of Lifelong Learning and Extension, who passed away in October 2023. Despite his demise nearly two years ago, SPPU's NIRF submission marked him as 'currently working with institution' with a clear 'Yes' response. This raises serious questions about the university's data verification processes.
Widespread Errors in Faculty Employment Status
The data discrepancies extend far beyond this single case. Out of 653 professors listed in SPPU's submission, the university claimed that all but one were still employed, failing to provide leaving dates for any of them. This includes thirty-nine names listed as 'regular' professors who are over the mandatory retirement age of 60.
Several high-profile academic leaders were incorrectly listed as current SPPU employees:
- Professor Sanjeev Sonawane, who became Vice-Chancellor of Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University in May 2023
- Professor Anirban Dash, currently serving as Director of the National Mission for Manuscripts
- Professors Mohan Kulkarni (retired 2020) and Mangesh Kulkarni (retired 2023)
Professor Sonawane confirmed to The Indian Express that he no longer holds any position at SPPU, echoing similar confirmations from other wrongly listed professors.
Qualification Misrepresentation and Ranking Impact
The data inaccuracies extend beyond employment status to educational qualifications. Multiple professors had their qualifications incorrectly listed, including Professor Milind Sardesai (Head of Botany Department) and Professor Shantanu Ozarkar (Head of Anthropology Department), whose PhD qualifications were wrongly recorded as NET (National Eligibility Test).
These errors have had tangible consequences for the university's national standing. SPPU experienced a dramatic drop in NIRF rankings, falling from 37th position in 2024 to 91st in 2025. This decline was primarily driven by a significant decrease in the Teaching, Learning and Resources (TLR) parameter score, which fell from 61.07 to 51.46.
The faculty count carries substantial weight in NIRF rankings, with 'Faculty-Student Ratio with emphasis on permanent faculty' accounting for 30 marks within the TLR parameter. The framework counts full-time regular faculty and contract faculty who taught in both semesters of the academic year.
Institutional Response and Broader Implications
Despite repeated attempts by The Indian Express, SPPU Vice-Chancellor Suresh Gosavi did not respond to questions regarding the data errors. The university provided a leaving date for only one professor - Professor Santishree Pandit, who became Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University in 2022.
The contrast with other institutions is striking. IIT Kanpur's NIRF submission clearly mentioned leaving dates for 17 faculty members who had retired or left during the relevant period, demonstrating that accurate data reporting is achievable.
A department head at SPPU, speaking anonymously, emphasized the seriousness of the situation: "Robust data is a prerequisite for data-driven policy. Institutional rankings help prospective students and stakeholders evaluate their options. SPPU, being a state university, should have been careful with its own data as prospective students will invest their time and resources here."
The professor added a poignant reminder of the university's motto: 'Yah kriyawan sa panditah (A learned person is one who is ceaselessly active),' suggesting that SPPU needs to complement academic excellence with integrity in action.
As the NIRF ranking system continues to gain importance in India's higher education landscape, the accuracy of submitted data becomes increasingly crucial for maintaining institutional credibility and public trust.
