Explain Please

I have often noticed that some university administrators and educational bureaucrats are clueless about international university rankings, even when their careers depend on a good performance.


The Economic Times of India reports that the Higher Education Secretary in the Human Resource Development Ministry, Ashok Thakur, said "institutions could improve their scores dramatically in Times Higher Education's globally cited World University Rankings as the British magazine has agreed to develop and include India-specific parameters for assessment from the next time."


This sounds like THE is going to insert a new indicator just for India in their world rankings, which is unbelievable. The Hindu puts it a little differently, suggesting that THE is preparing a separate ranking of Indian universities:
 .
"Times Higher Education (THE) — recognised world over for its ranking of higher education institutions — has agreed to draw up an India-specific indicator that would act as a parameter for global education stakeholders and international students to judge Indian educational institutions.

This was disclosed by Higher Education Secretary in the Union Human Resource Development Ministry Ashok Thakur."

It would be interesting to find out what the minister actually said and what, if anything, THE has agreed to.