For an Indian university, a spot on the QS Rankings list could change everything. It would mean they belonged to the same elite club as the Cambridges and Oxfords of the world.

But to nab that spot, universities are stopping at nothing — from admitting more foreign students, to paying top dollar to hire consultants and purchasing seats at conferences. But in the process some fear these universities are neglecting their bread and butter — academics.

How did we get here? What's behind this growing obsession with climbing up the global ranking ladder?

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