NISCAIR ranking of the top 20 research universities in India
A study conducted by the National Institute of Science Communication and Information Resources (NISCAIR) and published in Current Science, Vol. 96, NO. 12, 25 June 2009 has ranked top 20 research institutions in India.
The table of ranking is presented below:
| Universities | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
| Delhi | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 1 |
| Banaras Hindu | 10 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 2 |
| Jadavpur | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 3 |
| Anna | 11 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 4 |
| Panjab | 19 | 15 | 18 | 11 | 10 | 5 |
| Annamalai | 26 | 26 | 24 | 19 | 14 | 6 |
| Madras | 14 | 13 | 12 | 18 | 17 | 7 |
| AMU | 18 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 8 |
| Calcutta | 16 | 20 | 22 | 16 | 19 | 9 |
| CMC, Vellore | 24 | 23 | 30 | 25 | 22 | 10 |
| Hyderabad | 20 | 18 | 17 | 22 | 24 | 11 |
| JNU | 25 | 22 | 33 | 36 | 27 | 12 |
| Poona | 66 | 59 | 26 | 31 | 29 | 13 |
| CUSAT | 36 | 41 | 29 | 39 | 32 | 14 |
| Allahabad | 67 | 48 | 45 | 40 | 34 | 15 |
| Rajasthan | 23 | 33 | 25 | 30 | 35 | 16 |
| Srivenkateswara | 49 | 45 | 52 | 38 | 36 | 17 |
| Guru Nanak Dev | 31 | 37 | 31 | 43 | 37 | 18 |
| Mysore | 32 | 27 | 20 | 24 | 38 | 19 |
| Mangalore | 96 | 83 | 41 | 23 | 39 | 20 |