KU Rises to 34th in NIRF 2025, 8th Among State Public Universities

SRINAGAR: The University of Kashmir (KU) has achieved a milestone in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2025, securing 34th rank in the University Category with 57.13 points, a significant jump from 45th rank in 2024. It also bagged the 8th position among all State Public Universities across India, while maintaining its position in the country’s top-50 universities for the third consecutive year.

In the Overall Category, KU rose to 59th rank with 54.31 points, improving from 69th place last year. The university remains the only higher education institution from Jammu and Kashmir to feature in the top-50 universities of India.

The rise has been attributed to stronger performance in Research and Professional Practices (RP), where KU’s score increased to 34.74 from 31.25 in 2024. Notably, the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR – patents) sub-parameter registered remarkable growth, reaching 1.25 in 2025 compared to 0.50 last year, underscoring KU’s growing focus on innovation and patent filings. Teaching, Learning and Resources (TLR) also improved, rising to 74.05 points from 71.14 in 2024.

Vice-Chancellor KU, Prof Nilofer Khan, congratulated the KU community and expressed gratitude to the varsity’s leadership and the Jammu and Kashmir administration for their support. “Climbing the NIRF tables is a proud moment. It reflects our collective resolve to raise academic standards, deepen research, and deliver student-centric outcomes,” she said.

Prof Khan credited the efforts of Director DIQA KU, Prof Manzoor Shah, his team, faculty members, researchers, students, and non-teaching staff for their role in the achievement. Dean Academic Affairs, Prof Shariefuddin Pirzada, said the upward trend highlights KU’s robust academic ecosystem, while Dean Research, Prof Mohammad Sultan Bhat, stressed the university’s growing visibility through publications and technology-driven research. Registrar KU, Prof Naseer Iqbal, termed the improved ranking as a product of institutional synergy.

In May 2025, KU secured an A++ grade from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) with the highest CGPA in its history, becoming the first higher education institution in Jammu and Kashmir to be assessed under NAAC’s revised framework.

With this recognition, KU has consolidated its position as a leading hub of higher learning, research, and innovation in the region.