Pune: SPPU’s Sharp QS Ranking Fall Draws Criticism, University Dropped From 566 to 791-800 Rank
Pune, 24th June 2026: The global ranking of Savitribai Phule Pune University has witnessed a sharp decline this year, slipping to the 791-800 band in the latest QS World University Rankings after improving from 640 to 566 last year.
The drop has triggered criticism from some members of the university administration and governing bodies, who have attributed the decline to faculty shortages, falling student enrolment in several courses and a slowdown in recruitment of full-time professors.
The latest QS World University Rankings, released recently, place significant emphasis on research performance and academic output. According to university stakeholders, the retirement of a large number of professors over the past year may have adversely impacted the institution’s research profile, as research papers published by these faculty members are no longer contributing to the university’s ranking metrics.
Concerns have also been raised over the shortage of teaching staff at the university. Several courses offered by the university have reportedly witnessed declining student enrolment, affecting the teacher-student ratio — one of the parameters considered in global rankings.
The ranking decline comes at a time when several Indian institutions have improved their global standing. According to the latest QS rankings, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi was ranked 118th globally, followed by Indian Institute of Technology Bombay at 134, Indian Institute of Technology Madras at 170, and Indian Institute of Science at 205.
A member of the university’s governing body termed the decline of nearly 250 places within a year as “shocking” and blamed the university’s administrative leadership for the setback. The member claimed that elected representatives had repeatedly raised concerns regarding academic and administrative reforms over the past two years but alleged that little progress had been made.
