In theory, it is accepted that a purely-number driven university ranking exercise is self-defeating. In practice, university officials insist on research publication numbers, and are often indifferent to their manipulation. Students bear the brunt of such research.
The system rewards citations and international collaborations, so nothing stops a bad actor from lending her name to a foreign paper she had no role in, in return for being allowed to name a foreign co-author in her own work. As there is no way of really apportioning who did what in a paper – which might have several names – the gratuitous appearance of foreign affiliations is used to list the paper as an important international collaboration. It is thus in the interest of all parties to play the game.
Many openly boast of gaming the system, knowing not only that there will be no proof, but that more importantly, the university supports such activity. If the researcher is caught, as rarely happens, the university will wash its hands off her. Indian universities, under financial pressure as well as the pressure of rankings, are more likely to depend on these opaque metrics (and look the other way till an individual may be caught), than wealthier countries which do still appoint integrity officers.
More: https://thewire.in/education/research-misconduct-in-indian-universities-gaming-the-system
