India, Sept. 7 -- India has seen a rise in research paper retractions in recent years. In the newly released 2025 National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) rankings, the framework now deducts points for research papers retracted in the past three years, signalling a stronger stance on integrity, with penalties expected to tighten over time.

At first glance, that sounds sensible. Why should institutions benefit from work that turns out to be incorrect and is retracted from the published literature? Reputational pressure can improve behaviour, so sending a signal that integrity matters is overdue.

However, in practice, this idea may have unintended consequences. A blunt penalty may push cases into the shadows. Institutions may coope...