About the UGC-CARE List of Journals — A Complete Guide

What Is the UGC-CARE List of Journals?

UGC-CARE stands for Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics, an initiative by the University Grants Commission (UGC), India. Its main objective is to promote academic integrity, quality research, and ethical publishing practices by curating a list of trusted, peer-reviewed journals across disciplines.

The UGC-CARE List is the official reference point for journals recognized for:

• Ph.D. thesis submissions
• Research grant applications
• Faculty promotions (API scoring)
• Institutional academic assessments (NAAC/NBA)

Why the Old UGC-Approved Journals List Was Discontinued

Before 2018, UGC maintained a list of "Approved Journals" that grew to include many low-quality and even predatory journals. These journals frequently lacked genuine peer review and editorial transparency, which compromised the credibility of the list — and, by extension, of Indian research output relying on it.

UGC officially discontinued that old list and replaced it with the UGC-CARE List, developed in collaboration with academic institutions and indexing experts specifically to ensure authenticity and alignment with global publishing standards.

Period	Development
Pre-2018	Informal "UGC-approved" list widely used but criticized for including predatory and low-quality journals
2018–2019	UGC establishes the Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics (CARE) and discontinues the old list
2020	UGC-CARE List officially rolled out with defined evaluation protocols
2021	Group I and Group II classification introduced
2023	Transparent Peer Review requirement formally added to CARE eligibility criteria
2025	Updated Peer-Reviewed Journal Policy with stricter ethics and indexing-verification checks

Objectives Behind UGC-CARE

• Promote quality research publications and academic integrity across all disciplines.
• Eliminate fake, cloned, or predatory journals from academic usage.
• Ensure transparent and ethical peer review and editorial policies.
• Provide independently verifiable indexing status (e.g., Scopus, Web of Science) rather than relying on self-declared claims.
• Maintain a dynamic, continuously updated journal list for Indian researchers.

Old Approved List vs. UGC-CARE: What Changed

It's worth being specific about what actually changed between the pre-2018 system and UGC-CARE, because the difference explains why the new list carries so much more weight in academic evaluation today:

Dimension	Old "Approved Journals" List	UGC-CARE List
Evaluation basis	Largely self-declared, minimal verification	Structured protocol: editorial board, peer review, ISSN, ethics, indexing
Predatory journal risk	High — widely criticized	Actively screened against known predatory/cloned indicators
Update frequency	Infrequent, static	Periodically revised, journals can be added or removed
Peer review disclosure	Not required	Mandatory since the 2023 Transparent Peer Review requirement
Cloned-journal safeguards	None	Dedicated cloned-journal list maintained and published

This is precisely why institutions increasingly treat UGC-CARE listing as the meaningful bar for API scoring and PhD requirements, rather than any journal's own claim of being "UGC approved" in a generic sense.

Understanding UGC-CARE Group I and Group II

The current UGC-CARE List organizes journals into two main groups:

Group	Definition
Group I	Journals that qualified through UGC-CARE's own review protocols, evaluated directly by academic experts on criteria like editorial transparency, peer review documentation, and publication regularity.
Group II	Journals already indexed in globally recognized databases such as Scopus, Web of Science (WoS), or MEDLINE, included on the strength of that external indexing.

A Note on the Legacy Four-Group System

Researchers reading older guidance may encounter a now-superseded four-group classification (Group A, B, C, D) used in an earlier phase of UGC-CARE:

• Group A — Research journals across disciplines indexed in Scopus or Web of Science (Arts & Humanities Citation Index, Science Citation Index Expanded, or Social Science Citation Index).
• Group B — Journals carried over from the earlier list that qualified under UGC-CARE's analysis protocols.
• Group C — Journals recommended by UGC-CARE Council members across disciplines, qualified under analysis protocols.
• Group D — Journals submitted by UGC-CARE member universities across disciplines and languages, qualified under analysis protocols.

This four-group system has since been consolidated into the simpler Group I / Group II structure described above. If you see a source referencing Groups A–D, treat it as historical context rather than the current classification — always check the live portal for the present-day structure.

How UGC-CARE Actually Evaluates a Journal

Understanding the evaluation mechanics helps explain why some journals pass and others don't. UGC-CARE's process broadly works like this:

1. Submission or nomination — a journal (or a council member/university on its behalf) submits the journal for review.
2. Documentary screening — ISSN validity, editorial board disclosure, publication regularity and stated policies are checked against submitted evidence.
3. Peer review process audit — reviewers assess whether the journal's described review process (double-blind, single-blind, open) is actually documented and followed, not merely claimed.
4. Ethics and anti-predatory screening — the journal is checked against known predatory-practice indicators: guaranteed acceptance, fake metrics, opaque fee structures.
5. Committee decision — the UGC-CARE cell and analysis committee at Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) makes the final Group I / Group II determination.
6. Periodic re-evaluation — listed journals can be reviewed again and removed if standards slip or complaints are substantiated.

Subject-Wise Distribution of Listed Journals

The UGC-CARE List spans a very wide range of disciplines. For illustration, the Group I list has historically been organized across major subject categories along these lines:

Subject Category	Illustrative Share of Listed Journals
Sciences	Largest single category
Social Sciences	Second-largest category
Arts & Humanities	Substantial, closely following Social Sciences
Indian Languages	Significant dedicated category
Multidisciplinary	Smallest dedicated category, spanning cross-field research

Key Features Every UGC-CARE Journal Must Have

• Peer-reviewed or refereed — a genuine, documented review process, not a rubber stamp.
• Transparent editorial policies — clear, publicly available submission, review and ethics policies.
• Regular publishing frequency — consistent issue-by-issue history without unexplained gaps.
• Open access or clearly defined access policy — readers should know exactly how the journal is accessed.
• No hidden or unethical fees — all charges disclosed upfront, with no surprise costs after acceptance.
• Not listed among UGC's cloned or fake journals — a journal's legitimacy must be independently confirmed, not assumed.

How to Access and Verify the UGC-CARE List Yourself

Do not rely on any journal's self-description — including this one. Verify directly:

1. Visit the official UGC-CARE portal at ugccare.unipune.ac.in.
2. Register with your name and email if prompted, and log in.
3. Search for the journal by title, ISSN, subject category, language, or publisher.
4. Confirm whether it appears under Group I or Group II of the current list.
5. Cross-verify the journal's ISSN independently on the official ISSN Portal.
6. Check the UGC-CARE cloned-journals list to make sure the journal you found is the genuine listing, not an imitation.

Common Mistakes Authors Make When Choosing a Journal

Mistake	Why It's Risky
Trusting a journal's own "UGC Approved" badge without checking the portal	Badges and claims on a website are not verifiable evidence — only the live UGC-CARE portal is authoritative
Clicking a link from an unsolicited email invitation	A common vector for cloned-journal scams that mimic a real, listed journal's name and ISSN
Assuming a high "impact factor" implies UGC-CARE listing	Impact Factor and UGC-CARE status are separate frameworks entirely
Paying a fee before verifying the journal's current listing status	Fees paid to a delisted or cloned journal are typically non-refundable and the output may be rejected academically
Not checking which Group (I or II) a journal belongs to when it matters	Some institutional API frameworks weight Group I and Group II differently

Why Publishing in a UGC-CARE Journal Matters

• Academic recognition — your research is associated with a vetted, quality-controlled listing process.
• Visibility and credibility — increased trust among peers, reviewers and evaluation committees.
• PhD and promotion requirements — often mandatory for thesis submission, project funding, and faculty promotion (API scoring).
• Institutional and international standing — contributes to NAAC/NBA assessments and supports international collaboration credibility.

Why This Matters to Different Stakeholders

PhD Scholars

Most Indian universities require at least one publication in a UGC-CARE listed journal before thesis submission or viva voce. Publishing in a non-listed or cloned journal by mistake can delay a degree by months while a valid replacement publication is arranged.

Faculty Members

Under the Academic Performance Indicator (API) system, publications in UGC-CARE journals earn scoring points that directly affect eligibility for promotion from Assistant Professor through to Professor. Non-listed publications are frequently disregarded entirely in this scoring.

Institutions

NAAC and NBA assessments weigh an institution's research output, and publications in verifiably listed journals contribute positively, while publications in cloned or predatory journals can actively damage an institution's credibility during accreditation review.

Independent Researchers

For researchers without institutional affiliation, UGC-CARE listing (and transparent, verifiable peer review) is often the only external signal available to demonstrate that a publication reflects genuine academic scrutiny.

Beware of Cloned and Fake Journals

Before submitting anywhere, always check:

• The official UGC-CARE portal directly, not a link forwarded in an unsolicited email.
• The journal's own official website domain matches what is listed on the UGC-CARE portal.
• CrossRef, Scopus, or Web of Science indexing claims independently, using the indexing body's own database — never the journal's word alone.

Where IJRTI Fits Into This Framework

IJRTI (International Journal for Research Trends and Innovation) operates within this same UGC-CARE framework, with the following disclosed credentials:

Parameter	Detail
ISSN	2456-3315
Established	2016
Review Type	Transparent, double-blind, peer-reviewed & refereed
Publication Frequency	Monthly, without gap since 2016
Impact Factor	10.57 (Google Scholar-based — not a Scopus/JCR figure)
Publication Fee	₹599 (India) / $40 USD (International)
Scopus / Web of Science / DOAJ Indexing	Not currently indexed — disclosed openly

For a criterion-by-criterion breakdown of exactly how IJRTI satisfies UGC-CARE's editorial requirements, see UGC CARE Criteria Explained, or verify IJRTI's status directly on the official portal, cross-checking ISSN 2456-3315.

Frequently Searched Questions About UGC-CARE

Researchers land on this guide searching for many closely related questions. Here's a quick-reference list, with the short answer to each:

• What is the UGC-CARE list? A UGC-maintained list of trusted, peer-reviewed journals recognized for academic evaluation in India.
• Are UGC-approved journals still valid for PhD submission? The old "UGC-approved" terminology has been replaced by UGC-CARE listing — check current CARE status, not the old label.
• UGC-CARE Group I vs Group II — which matters more? Depends on your institution's specific API framework; both are valid CARE listings, but weighting can differ.
• How to check the UGC-CARE journal list online? Search directly on ugccare.unipune.ac.in by title or ISSN.
• What is the latest UGC-CARE journal policy? The most recent revision emphasises transparent peer review, verifiable indexing, and anti-cloning safeguards.
• What are the benefits of publishing in a UGC-CARE listed journal? API scoring eligibility, PhD compliance, institutional recognition, and reduced predatory-journal risk.
• Is every Scopus-indexed journal automatically UGC-CARE listed? Not automatically — Group II inclusion still requires the journal to be added to the UGC-CARE list itself.
• How is the UGC-CARE list organized by subject? Broadly across Sciences, Social Sciences, Arts & Humanities, Indian Languages, and Multidisciplinary categories.

Frequently Asked Questions