Even as the seven IITs (Bombay, Delhi, Kanpur, Guwahati, Kharagpur, Madras and Roorkee) continue to boycott the Times Higher Education Wolrd Ranking for the third straight year, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Banglore improved its rank in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023 and was the only Indian institution to make up in the top 300 list.  The Times Higher Education World University Rankings for 2023 were released on 12 October.

For the seventh year running, the University of Oxford in the UK continues to lead in the THE rankings, while the number of US universities in the top 100 has steadily decreased from a record of 43 in 2018 to only 34 this year. The newest rankings set a record for the number of Indian colleges represented this year, according to the latest release.

“India has 75 institutes in the 2023 rankings, compared to 56 in 2020 and just 31 Indian universities in 2017. In the rankings, India is the sixth most represented country. Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences, India's top-performing newcomer ranked at (351–400), immediately moves up to joint-second position" - statement from THE.

The concern of the IITs on the dubios ranking parameters and transparency at THE is substantiated by the fact that while the majority of national and international rankings have historically ranked universities like JNU, JAMIA, or Delhi University, IISc (NIRF), IITs, and NITs at the top among Indian institutions, the rankings from THE since 2000 have been noticeably devoid of the best institutes in India in terms of technical proficiency. Seven IITs, including those in Bombay, Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Madras, and Roorkee, chose not to participate in the 2020 World University Rankings, raising doubts on the rankings' objectivity and criteria. HEIs like IIT-Indore, JNU, and AMU are rated below institutions that have been ranked much lower in NIRF rankings for Indian institutions this year.