NIRF (National Institutional Ranking Framework)

What is NIRF?

The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) is the official ranking system for higher education institutions in India. It is published annually by the Ministry of Education, Government of India and ranks institutions based on academic and institutional performance.

Why is it important? 

For the SBI Foundation ASHA Scholarship, NIRF Rankings are used to determine whether your institution qualifies as a Premier Academic Institution. Applicants must be pursuing an undergraduate or postgraduate course from a premier university or college in India, listed in the latest Top 300 NIRF Institutes or with a NAAC rating of 'A' and above. It helps ensure that scholarship support is provided to students studying at recognized and accredited institutions that meet the Foundation's academic standards. 

Please be advised that eligibility is strictly determined by the latest, current year's National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) rankings. While your college may have been recognized in previous years, past rankings do not carry over. You will not be eligible unless your institution officially appears in the most recently published NIRF ranking list. Therefore, it is mandatory to ensure that your college holds a current rank to qualify.

Please check this link https://www.nirfindia.org/ to check the eligibility of your college.

Applicable Categories:

• Undergraduate (UG)– Institutions must be ranked among the Top 300 in the NIRF Overall Rankings (2025–26) or have NAAC 'A' accreditation or above.
• Postgraduate (PG) – Institutions must be ranked among the Top 300 in the NIRF Overall Rankings (2025–26) or have NAAC 'A' accreditation or above.
• Medical – Students from AIIMS or Top 50 NIRF-ranked Medical Colleges are eligible under the Medical category.

Important Note 

If you do not find your college in the drop-down menu while submitting your application form, please do not hesitate to write to us if you think we have missed your institution. You may contact us at ashascholarship@sbifoundation.co.in, and after a round of verification, we will add your college to the list. However, we kindly request that you double-check your college's current NIRF ranking to ensure it meets the latest eligibility criteria before emailing us.

Example:
If a scholarship requires an institution to be in the Top 300 NIRF Overall Rankings, only students studying in institutions ranked 1–300 are eligible under this criterion.

How do I check my institution's ranking?

1. Open the official NIRF Rankings Website.
2. Select the ranking year.
3. Search for your institution.
4. Verify its Overall Rank (or the category specified in the scholarship guidelines).

Official Rankings:
https://www.nirfindia.org/