Global Metrics, Local Realities: Policy Transfer, Marketisation, and Equity in India’s Adoption of UK‑Modelled University Rankings

Abstract

This paper critically examines India’s adoption of UK‑modelled university ranking frameworks, focusing on the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) and the Karnataka State Universities Rating Framework (KSURF). Drawing on Policy Transfer Theory, Marketisation of Higher Education, and Educational Stratification Theory, it assesses how models such as QS and THE have been transplanted into national and regional contexts, their localisation, and socio‑economic impacts. The study adopts a non‑doctrinal, qualitative, analytical design, combining comparative document analysis, thematic coding of policy and institutional materials, and disaggregated AISHE/UGC statistical analysis to evaluate structure, implementation, and effects. Findings show high structural replication from UK rankings, minimal contextual adaptation, and market‑driven shifts prioritising visibility over teaching or community goals. The systems advantage resource‑rich institutions, reinforce socio‑economic hierarchies, erode institutional diversity, and have limited transparency, creating tensions with NEP 2020’s equity and excellence goals. Recommendations include contextualised and competency‑focused metrics, stronger qualitative evaluation via NAAC, enhanced transparency, diversity protection, and integration of indigenous academic perspectives.