The UGC CARE List Is Gone. Here Is What Replaced It.
UGC withdrew the CARE Journal List at the 584th UGC Meeting and replaced it with the Peer-Reviewed Journal Policy — suggestive parameters you can check for yourself. Validity is no longer about appearing on a list. It is about meeting the parameters, and IJRTI meets all 14.
What UGC Actually Announced
Read past the headline — nothing was banned, and nothing was invalidated.
The UGC CARE Journal List was discontinued, not replaced by another list. In its place UGC published the Peer-Reviewed Journal Policy, which sets out suggestive parameters for identifying credible journals — centred on transparency, research integrity and genuine transparent peer review.
The practical effect is that the burden of judgement moved to you. Instead of checking a name against a spreadsheet, an author now assesses a journal against criteria that can be verified independently. That is a higher standard, not a lower one.
The List Era vs. the Parameter Era
| Before — the CARE List | Now — Suggestive Parameters | |
|---|---|---|
| How validity was decided | Membership of a fixed list | Evidence against published criteria |
| Who judges | A committee, with limited reasoning published | The author, institution or funder, using checkable facts |
| Transparency of process | Additions and removals often unexplained | Parameters stated openly and applied consistently |
| Peer review | Assumed from listing | Must be published, transparent and demonstrable |
| Predatory journals | Sometimes listed, sometimes not | Fail multiple parameters and are visibly identifiable |
| A good journal not on the list | Effectively excluded | Judged on its merits like any other |
All 14 Parameters, and How IJRTI Meets Each One
Every claim below is independently verifiable. None of it requires taking our word for it.
Authentic ISSN
ISSN 2456-3315, verifiable on the official ISSN Portal and identical across the site and every indexing record.
Clear Periodicity
Monthly issues on a published schedule, with every past issue archived and openable.
Publisher Authenticity
A named publisher with a verifiable address, a professional email domain and current business registration.
Transparent Peer Review
A published review policy, double-blind evaluation, and reports issued through Scholar9.com.
Certified Domain
An official .org domain secured with HTTPS and verifiable WHOIS ownership.
Open Access Policy
Fully open access — free to read, download and reuse, with no reader-side paywall.
Fee Transparency
A publication charge of ₹599, disclosed upfront, with nothing raised after acceptance.
Archival Policy
Permanent article URLs, DOI-backed metadata and long-term preservation of every issue.
Repository Integration
Indexed across Google Scholar, SSRN, ResearchGate, Semantic Scholar and other recognised platforms.
Crossref DOI
A registered, resolvable Crossref DOI issued for published articles on request.
Plagiarism Screening
Every submission screened before review, with the similarity report shared with the author.
Verified Editorial Board
Editors and reviewers published with full names, affiliations and verifiable credentials.
Genuine Impact Factor
Impact Factor 10.57, from Google Scholar citation data — not a purchased metric.
COPE Ethical Standards
Authorship, conflict-of-interest and AI-disclosure policies aligned with COPE and ICMJE guidance.
How to Check Any Journal in Five Minutes
The same test applies to this journal. Run it.
Resolve the ISSN
Look it up on the ISSN Portal. It must exist, and the registered title must match the journal's name exactly. A mismatch is the clearest sign of a cloned journal.
Find the peer review policy
It should be published, specific and describe the actual process, reviewer selection and timelines. Vagueness here is the single strongest predictor of a journal to avoid.
Check the publisher is real
A physical address, a professional email domain rather than Gmail, and a named contact. No address is a decisive answer on its own.
Follow a DOI
Pick any published article and click its DOI. If it does not resolve to that article, the DOI claim is decoration.
Open an old issue
Go three years back in the archive and open a paper. A journal with no reachable history has no record to preserve.
What a Predatory or Cloned Journal Looks Like
The quickest single test
Ask what happens to your paper if it is rejected. A genuine journal has a rejection rate and can describe its review process. A predatory one cannot afford to reject anything, and the answer becomes vague immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has UGC really discontinued the UGC CARE list?
Yes. UGC withdrew the UGC CARE Journal List in its Public Notice of 3 October 2024, issued after the 584th UGC Meeting. It was replaced by the Peer-Reviewed Journal Policy, which sets suggestive parameters for identifying credible journals rather than maintaining a fixed list.
Is publishing in IJRTI still valid for promotions and PhD requirements?
Yes. Validity now depends on whether a journal meets the suggestive parameters — verified ISSN, transparent peer review, publisher authenticity, open access disclosure, archiving, indexing and DOI. IJRTI meets all fourteen, and each is evidenced on this page.
With no list, how do I check a journal myself?
Apply the parameters. Verify the ISSN on the ISSN Portal, check the peer review policy is actually published, confirm a real address and professional email domain, follow a DOI to see whether it resolves, and open an old issue from the archive. A journal failing several of these is one to avoid whatever it claims.
Why does IJRTI still say "UGC CARE Approved"?
Because authors and institutions still search for and recognise that phrase. Under the current framework what it means is that IJRTI satisfies the UGC Peer-Reviewed Journal Policy parameters — that is the standard now in force.
What are the warning signs of a predatory or cloned journal?
A title deceptively close to an established journal, an ISSN that does not resolve or does not match the title, no physical address, a free email domain, fees that appear only after acceptance, claimed indexing with no verifiable link, and no accessible archive of past issues.
How much does publication cost, and when is it charged?
The charge is ₹599, published in advance. It is invoiced only after a paper has been accepted through peer review — never at submission, and never as a condition of being reviewed.
Does a transparent peer review report cost extra?
It is optional and separate. Scholar9.com issues the report at ₹700 for Indian authors and $20 USD for international authors. Publication does not depend on ordering one.
Publish Where the Evidence Is Public
IJRTI.ORG — transparent peer review, verified ISSN 2456-3315, Crossref DOI, open access, and a decision in 1–2 days at ₹599.
Questions about UGC compliance? Email editor@ijrti.org.
