UGC CARE Journal List 2026: What Changed and How to Choose Journals Now

If you are a PhD scholar, assistant professor, or researcher in India, you have probably searched for "UGC CARE list 2026" at least once this year. The news is significant: the University Grants Commission has officially discontinued the CARE journal list and replaced it with a set of suggestive parameters for evaluating journals. This shift changes how every Indian researcher should approach journal selection for publication.

In this comprehensive guide, we explain what happened, why UGC made this decision, what the new parameters are, and — most importantly — how you can choose legitimate journals for your research going forward.

What Was the UGC CARE List?

The UGC-CARE (Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics) list was introduced in 2018 as a response to the growing problem of predatory journals in India. Before CARE, researchers — especially those pursuing PhDs and seeking faculty promotions — were publishing in dubious journals that charged fees but provided no legitimate peer review.

The CARE list was divided into two groups:

• Group I: Journals indexed in globally recognized databases such as SCOPUS, Web of Science, PubMed, and DOAJ. These were considered the gold standard. If a journal appeared in any of these databases, it automatically qualified for Group I.
• Group II: Indian journals that were not indexed in international databases but were vetted by UGC-appointed expert committees. Universities and colleges could recommend journals for inclusion, and CARE committees would evaluate them based on editorial standards, peer review quality, and publication ethics.

The CARE list served a critical function: it gave PhD scholars and faculty a definitive answer to the question, "Is this journal acceptable for my thesis requirement or promotion?" Universities across India used the list as the primary reference when evaluating a candidate's publications. If your journal was on the CARE list, your publication counted. If it was not, it likely did not.

At its peak, the CARE list included over 900 journals in Group I and more than 1,200 journals in Group II, covering disciplines from engineering and medicine to humanities and social sciences.

Why UGC Discontinued the CARE List in 2026

The decision to discontinue the CARE list did not happen overnight. Several factors led UGC to move away from maintaining a centralized journal directory:

• Maintenance burden: Keeping the list updated required constant monitoring. Journals that were once legitimate could decline in quality, and new journals that deserved inclusion had to go through slow bureaucratic processes. The gap between reality and the list grew over time.
• Gaming the system: Some journals made it onto the Group II list through institutional lobbying rather than genuine academic merit. Once listed, there was little accountability to maintain standards. Researchers reported paying publication fees to CARE-listed journals that offered minimal peer review.
• Over-reliance on a single list: The academic community became so dependent on the CARE list that it stopped evaluating journals independently. A journal's presence on the list became a substitute for critical thinking about publication quality.
• Global best practices: No other major country maintains a government-curated list of acceptable journals. The international norm is for institutions to evaluate journals based on established parameters such as indexing, impact factor, and editorial standards.

UGC officially announced the shift in early 2026, stating that instead of maintaining a prescriptive list, it would provide suggestive parameters that institutions and researchers should use to evaluate journal quality independently. The goal is to create a more sustainable, decentralized system that encourages researchers to develop their own journal evaluation skills.

The New 8 Suggestive Parameters

UGC now recommends that universities and research institutions evaluate journals based on the following eight parameters. These are not mandatory checkboxes but rather a framework for making informed decisions:

1. Editorial Board Quality: The journal should have a clearly listed editorial board with members who are active researchers in the relevant field. Board members should have verifiable academic credentials and institutional affiliations. A journal with an anonymous or suspiciously large editorial board is a red flag.
2. Peer Review Process: The journal must follow a transparent peer review process. This means clear timelines, reviewer guidelines, and a demonstrable review workflow. Journals that promise acceptance within days or guarantee publication are almost certainly not conducting genuine peer review.
3. Indexing in Recognized Databases: The journal should be indexed in established databases such as SCOPUS, Web of Science, PubMed, DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals), or other reputable discipline-specific databases. Indexing demonstrates that the journal has been evaluated and accepted by independent bodies.
4. Publication Regularity: Legitimate journals publish on a consistent schedule. Whether quarterly, biannually, or monthly, the journal should have a predictable publication pattern with archives that demonstrate years of regular publication. Irregular publishing or sudden increases in the number of issues per year can signal problems.
5. Ethical Practices: The journal should adhere to established publication ethics, ideally as defined by COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics). This includes clear policies on plagiarism, conflicts of interest, data fabrication, retraction, and author misconduct. The journal should have a publicly available ethics statement.
6. Impact Metrics: While impact factor is not the only measure of quality, the journal should have some form of verifiable citation metrics. This could include CiteScore (SCOPUS), Journal Impact Factor (Clarivate), SJR (SCImago Journal Rank), or h-index. Be cautious of journals that claim an impact factor but are not listed in the databases that calculate these metrics.
7. Open Access Policy: If the journal is open access, its policies should be transparent and aligned with recognized standards. Legitimate open access journals are listed in DOAJ and follow the Budapest Open Access Initiative guidelines. Article Processing Charges (APCs) should be clearly stated upfront, not hidden until after acceptance.
8. Publishing Standards: The journal should follow international publishing standards, including proper ISSN registration, DOI assignment for articles, archiving policies, and adherence to formatting and metadata standards. Articles should be properly copyedited and typeset.

These parameters are broadly aligned with what international academic communities already use. For Indian researchers, the key shift is that the responsibility of evaluation now falls on the individual and their institution rather than on a central UGC committee.

How to Choose a Journal Without the CARE List

Without a centralized list to rely on, here is a practical decision framework you can follow before submitting your manuscript to any journal:

Step 1: Check SCOPUS and Web of Science indexing. Visit SCOPUS Source List and Web of Science Master Journal List to verify whether the journal is indexed. If it appears in either database, it has already been evaluated by independent experts. Our SCOPUS journal publication assistance can help you identify the right indexed journal for your research area.

Step 2: Verify DOAJ listing. For open access journals, check the Directory of Open Access Journals. DOAJ has strict inclusion criteria and regularly removes journals that fail to meet standards.

Step 3: Review the editorial board. Look up the editorial board members on Google Scholar or their institutional websites. If you cannot find them, or if they have no publications in the field, that is a warning sign. A strong editorial board should include recognized experts with active publication records.

Step 4: Check publication frequency and archives. Browse the journal's past issues. Are they published on schedule? Do they have a consistent volume of articles? Can you access archives going back several years? A journal with a spotty publication history or one that suddenly appeared last year should be approached with caution.

Step 5: Look for predatory signals. Watch out for these common red flags:

• Unsolicited emails inviting you to submit or join the editorial board
• Guaranteed acceptance or unrealistically fast review times (under two weeks)
• No clear information about the peer review process
• The journal's website has grammatical errors, broken links, or looks unprofessional
• Article Processing Charges are not disclosed until after acceptance
• The journal publishes across unrelated disciplines (e.g., medicine and engineering in the same journal)
• Claims of an "impact factor" that cannot be verified on Clarivate or SCOPUS

Before submitting, always run a plagiarism report for your manuscript to ensure your work meets the journal's originality requirements. Many legitimate journals now require a plagiarism report as part of the submission process.

SCOPUS vs UGC CARE: Which Matters More Now?

With the CARE list discontinued, SCOPUS indexing has become the de facto standard for evaluating journal quality in India. Here is how SCOPUS compares to the old CARE list across different academic contexts:

For PhD requirements: Most universities now require at least one or two publications in SCOPUS-indexed journals as a prerequisite for thesis submission. Previously, a CARE Group II journal would have sufficed. Now, without Group II, scholars need to aim for indexed journals. Some universities are developing their own approved journal lists based on the UGC suggestive parameters, but SCOPUS indexing is the safest bet.

For NIRF rankings: The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) has always weighted SCOPUS and Web of Science publications more heavily than CARE Group II publications. With the CARE list gone, institutions are pushing their faculty to publish in indexed journals to improve their NIRF scores. This means universities are less likely to accept publications in non-indexed journals for any purpose.

For promotions under CAS: The Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) for faculty promotions required publications in CARE-listed journals. Going forward, the expectation is shifting toward SCOPUS and Web of Science indexed journals. Faculty members who have published exclusively in CARE Group II journals should start targeting indexed journals for future publications.

The bottom line is clear: if you are publishing research in India, SCOPUS indexing should be your primary quality indicator. It is recognized internationally, it is independently maintained by Elsevier, and it is unlikely to be discontinued the way the CARE list was.

How to Verify If a Journal Is Legitimate

Here is a step-by-step verification process you can follow for any journal you are considering:

1. Search the journal title on SCOPUS Source List (scopus.com/sources). If it appears with an active status, the journal is SCOPUS-indexed. Note the CiteScore and subject area.
2. Check the Web of Science Master Journal List (mjl.clarivate.com). Search by journal title or ISSN. If listed, the journal is part of the Web of Science ecosystem.
3. Verify on DOAJ (doaj.org) for open access journals. DOAJ inclusion means the journal has passed a rigorous evaluation of its editorial and publishing practices.
4. Look up the ISSN on the ISSN Portal (portal.issn.org). Every legitimate journal should have a registered ISSN. If the ISSN does not match the journal name, it may be a cloned or hijacked journal.
5. Check Beall's List and similar predatory journal databases. While Beall's original list is no longer actively maintained, several updated versions exist. Also check Cabells Predatory Reports if your institution has access.
6. Verify DOI registration by searching a recent article's DOI on doi.org. If the DOI does not resolve to the article, the journal may be assigning fake DOIs.
7. Contact the journal directly. Send an email to the editorial office asking about the peer review process and timeline. A legitimate journal will respond professionally with specific details. A predatory journal will respond with a generic acceptance or an aggressive sales pitch.

If you need a professional language review before submission, our English editing certificate for journals is accepted by SCOPUS and Web of Science indexed journals across all disciplines.

Impact on PhD Scholars and Faculty

The discontinuation of the CARE list has created real uncertainty for researchers at different career stages. Here is what you need to know:

For PhD scholars in the middle of their research: If you have already published in a CARE Group II journal that is not indexed in SCOPUS or Web of Science, your publication should still be valid for your thesis if it was accepted while the CARE list was active. However, for any future publications, target SCOPUS-indexed journals to avoid complications during your viva or thesis submission.

For faculty seeking promotions: The CAS guidelines are being revised to reflect the new parameter-based approach. In the interim, most universities are accepting publications in SCOPUS and Web of Science indexed journals as equivalent to or better than CARE-listed publications. If you are preparing your promotion dossier, document the indexing status and impact metrics of each journal you have published in.

For researchers at state universities: State universities are slower to adapt to policy changes. Some may continue referencing the old CARE list for a transition period. Check with your university's research cell or academic council for the most current guidelines. If there is ambiguity, publishing in a SCOPUS-indexed journal provides the strongest protection.

What universities are doing differently:

• Several central universities have formed internal committees to create institution-specific approved journal lists based on the UGC suggestive parameters.
• IITs and IIMs continue to prioritize SCOPUS and Web of Science indexed journals, as they always have. The CARE list discontinuation has minimal impact on premier institutions.
• Many state universities are adopting a hybrid approach: accepting SCOPUS and Web of Science journals automatically while evaluating other journals case by case using the eight parameters.
• Some universities now require researchers to submit a journal evaluation form along with their publication, documenting how the journal meets the suggestive parameters.

The transition period is critical. If you are a PhD scholar with one or two years remaining, do not wait. Start identifying SCOPUS-indexed journals in your field now. The review and publication process can take six months to a year, and you do not want to be caught without valid publications when you are ready to submit your thesis.

Get Expert Journal Selection Guidance

Navigating the post-CARE landscape can be confusing, especially if your research is in a niche field with limited indexed journals. Our team has helped hundreds of PhD scholars and faculty members identify the right journals for their research, prepare manuscripts that meet international standards, and successfully publish in SCOPUS and Web of Science indexed journals.

Whether you need help selecting a journal, formatting your manuscript, or understanding the new UGC parameters, we are here to assist. We can also provide a plagiarism report for your manuscript and an English editing certificate for journals to strengthen your submission.