India, Sept. 26 -- A special discussion on National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) ratings held at Modern College under the aegis of Progressive Education Society in collaboration with Akhil Bharatiya Rashtriya Shikshak Mahasangh and Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) highlighted among other factors that nearly 500 research papers linked to the university had been retracted, damaging the credibility of the institution in global research databases and possibly causing a steep fall in its 2025 NIRF rankings wherein it slipped from 37th to 91st position.

The meeting was chaired by professor Gajanan Ekbote, working president of Progressive Education Society, and brought together senior academicians, faculty members and education...