The University Grants Commission (UGC) has formally announced the discontinuation of the UGC-Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics (CARE) journal listing. This move marks a significant shift towards a decentralized and more flexible approach for selecting academic journals for research and publication.
New Guidelines for Journal Selection
To replace the UGC-CARE listing, the UGC has introduced a set of suggestive parameters designed to help faculty members and students choose credible peer-reviewed journals. These parameters, developed by a team of experts and academicians, have been released for public feedback. Stakeholders, including Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) and faculty, are invited to provide their input by February 25, 2025, at journal@ugc.gov.in.
The decision to discontinue the CARE list was made during the UGC's 584th meeting on October 3, 2024, following recommendations from an expert committee. This move officially supersedes the Public Notice dated November 28, 2018, which established the UGC-CARE framework.
Empowering Institutions with Autonomy
In its announcement, the UGC emphasized the importance of fostering high-quality research through peer-reviewed publications. HEIs are encouraged to adopt the suggestive parameters and tailor them to their academic needs. To maintain research quality, the UGC recommends that institutions set up internal review committees to fine-tune and oversee the adoption of these guidelines.
Reasons Behind Discontinuing UGC-CARE
According to UGC Chairman Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, the CARE list was launched in 2018 to address the growing concerns about research quality and the proliferation of predatory journals. The list was intended to help faculty members with selections, promotions, and research funding applications. However, it faced several criticisms:
- Centralized decision-making leading to bureaucratic delays.
- Lack of transparency in including or excluding journals.
- Exclusion of prominent journals, especially in Indian languages, while including less credible ones.
- Pressure on researchers to publish exclusively in UGC-CARE listed journals.
Influence of NEP 2020 and Expert Recommendations
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 highlighted the need to reduce excessive regulation in academic publishing. In response, the UGC established an expert committee in December 2023 to review the UGC-CARE framework. Following the committee’s recommendations, the UGC decided to discontinue the central journal list and encourage HEIs to develop their own journal evaluation mechanisms.
“This approach offers institutions the freedom to design evaluation models that align with their academic priorities and the unique requirements of various disciplines,” Prof. Kumar explained. "Researchers will no longer be restricted by a centralized list."
Combating Predatory Journals
With the decentralization of journal evaluation, HEIs are now responsible for establishing credible mechanisms to assess journals and protect against predatory publications. Experienced faculty are encouraged to mentor younger researchers in identifying credible journals and avoiding fraudulent ones.
“This system places a greater responsibility on institutions to maintain academic integrity and safeguard their reputation by adopting effective evaluation models,” Prof. Kumar added.
Restoring Academic Freedom
By shifting the responsibility of journal evaluation to HEIs, the UGC aims to restore academic freedom and institutional autonomy. Researchers can now choose journals that align better with their fields and readership. This approach also accommodates rapidly evolving fields, recognizing journals that traditional indexing systems might overlook.
Invitation for Feedback
The UGC encourages stakeholders to review the newly proposed parameters and provide feedback by the designated deadline. For more details, stakeholders are urged to refer to the UGC’s official communications and actively contribute to the development of an improved framework for academic journal evaluation.
