Ranking and stratification – UGC NET Question

Stratification refers to the layering of institutions into hierarchies of prestige and resources, often resulting in unequal opportunities. Critics of global rankings argue that they intensify such stratification by favouring already well-resourced universities and influencing student choices and funding patterns. The stem points to concentration of prestige and resources, which is precisely the effect of stratification. Therefore, Option B is correct.

Option A:
Egalitarianism implies equality and reduction of hierarchies, which is the opposite of what critics claim rankings do. Therefore, Option A is incorrect.

Option B:
Option B is correct because the described concentration of prestige/resources creates hierarchical tiers—i.e., stratification.

Option C:
Randomness would imply prestige and resources are distributed without pattern, which contradicts the systematic hierarchies associated with rankings. Thus, Option C is incorrect.

Option D:
Uniformity would mean institutions become more alike, but the criticism is that rankings widen gaps between tiers. Rankings promote differentiation, not uniformity. Therefore, Option D is incorrect.