In a significant step towards decentralizing academic publishing standards, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has officially dismantled the UGC-CARE list of journals. Instead, the UGC has introduced a set of suggestive parameters to assist in the selection of peer-reviewed journals. This pivotal decision was made during a commission meeting on June 24, 2025.
The UGC clarified that although the previous list of 1,474 UGC-CARE journals will still be accessible on their website as a reference, it will no longer hold any authoritative status. “The inclusion or exclusion of a journal in this list does not imply validation or endorsement by the Commission,” emphasized the UGC, highlighting that the old list is now inactive.
This reformation comes in response to growing concerns from researchers regarding the previous list’s centralization, transparency issues, and perceived subjectivity. The new framework is designed to empower faculty, students, and higher educational institutions (HEIs) by enabling them to make independent decisions based on specified quality indicators.
The UGC has set forth a range of criteria to guide institutions and researchers in their journal selection, covering several key areas such as:
– Preliminary eligibility
– Editorial board standards
– Editorial policies
– Quality benchmarks
– Research ethics
– Visibility and impact
These suggested parameters are intended to be flexible and adaptable, allowing faculty and students to select journals that best match their specific research disciplines and focus areas. Furthermore, the UGC has encouraged HEIs to establish internal committees that will tailor and periodically revise these parameters to uphold the integrity of academic and research standards.
This decisive move represents an important shift towards improving the quality, relevance, and transparency of academic publishing, empowering stakeholders to navigate their publishing choices without relying on a centralized list. This decentralization may foster a more inclusive and diverse academic landscape, ultimately benefiting research and scholarship across disciplines.