Lakhs of teenagers may be aspiring to join the Indian Institutes of Technology, but over time, as their international peers have been inching upwards, these elite national colleges have been taking a beating in the global rankings. Between 2009 and 2013, the IITs saw a steady slide in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) rankings, Times of India reported.

This year, five IITs remained the country's only representatives in the top 400 list. In the Asian rankings, most institutes slid in their positions compared to 2012. In 2009, IIT-Bombay led the pack at 163; over the last five years, it fell several spots. Experts said the IITs had increased research publication, though comparatively low citation rates suggested they were yet to achieve widespread impact within academic community.

Read the complete Times of India report here