New Delhi, Sep 29 (IANS): Union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani on Tuesday launched the national institutional ranking framework for educational institutions in the country.

"This will meet the need for a framework that would enable parents, students, teachers, educational institutions and other stakeholders to rank institutions on the basis of a set of objective parameters and a transparent process," Irani said.

The ranking framework is designed in such a manner that institutions, belonging to different fields like engineering and management, would be compared separately in their own respective peer groups.

Its five parameters are teaching, learning and resources; research, consulting and collaborative performance; graduation outcomes; outreach and inclusivity; and perception.

Developed by a team of experts in education and heads of institutions, the portal and the framework is currently available for engineering and management institutions.

The framework for engineering and management institutes would be extended to other disciplines such as architecture, pharmacy and humanities and for universities in a month's time, the minister said.

Irani said the framework follows an Indian approach which considers India-centric parameters like diversity and inclusiveness apart from excellence in teaching, learning and research.

Methodologies, parameters and process for ranking universities along with architecture and planning institutions would also be available online next month, the HRD ministry said in a statement.