Will the UGC CARE List Disappear? Concerns Over the Future of Research Standards in India
High-quality journal publication has always been a cornerstone of academic research, but recent developments in India have raised serious concerns about the future of research standards. India is currently among the top 10 countries with the highest number of paper retractions in the past two years—a statistic that many nations hesitate to acknowledge. To uphold academic integrity, several Indian journals have built credibility by being included in the UGC CARE list and indexed in globally recognized databases such as Scopus and Web of Science. Notable examples include *The International Journal on Consumer Law and Practice (IJCLP)* by NLSIU, *The Asian Journal of Legal Education* by NUJS, Kolkata, and the *Indian Journal of Law and Justice*, a peer-reviewed publication from the University of North Bengal.
However, recent reports suggest that the University Grants Commission (UGC) may be planning to discontinue the UGC CARE list. This potential move poses a significant threat to research standards in India, as it risks opening the door to predatory and cloned journals, undermining the country’s scientific and academic ethos.
The UGC CARE list has been instrumental in helping researchers identify credible journals that meet stringent quality benchmarks. This list became especially critical for academics in India, where assistant and associate professors must publish research papers or books to advance their careers. Before 2018, the UGC maintained an approved list of journals based on university inputs, but this approach allowed numerous predatory journals—often charging fees for publication—to infiltrate the system. To address this, the UGC introduced the CARE list in November 2018, which included only those journals that passed rigorous assessments and were indexed in respected global databases.
The potential scrapping of the CARE list has sparked widespread concern within academic circles. Critics argue that this decision could tarnish the global reputation of Indian universities and encourage the proliferation of substandard journals. Additionally, the UGC’s proposed draft regulations, which suggest easing publication requirements for faculty promotions, have further deepened worries. Currently, assistant professors must publish seven research papers for promotion, while associate professors need ten. Under the proposed rules, these requirements would be significantly reduced, raising fears of a decline in research quality.
Many believe that rather than abandoning the CARE list, the UGC should focus on strengthening its framework. By tightening the evaluation process and raising the quality benchmarks for listed journals, India can safeguard its academic standards and bolster its global research reputation. These measures are essential to ensuring that India’s academic ecosystem thrives on integrity, credibility, and innovation.
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