Last Updated on July 22, 2025 by Admin
For any academic, researcher, or PhD scholar in India, the term “UGC CARE list” has been a critical part of their publishing journey. It served as the official benchmark for quality, influencing everything from PhD submissions to career promotions. However, the landscape has dramatically changed.
What Was the UGC CARE List?
The UGC CARE list, which stands for University Grants Commission – Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics, was an official list of quality academic journals. It was established in 2018 to combat the rise of predatory, low-quality journals and to promote academic integrity in Indian research.
Before this, the “UGC Approved List of Journals” was in place, but a study found that over 88% of the journals on it were predatory, damaging the reputation of Indian academia. The UGC CARE list was created to be a credible, continuously monitored “white list” of journals. Any publication in a journal not on this list was not considered valid for academic purposes like PhD submissions or promotions under the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS).
Latest Status (February 2025 Onwards) – “UGC CARE List Dissolution”
A public notice dated 11 February 2025 announced that the UGC would stop maintaining the UGC CARE journal list and, instead, release “suggestive parameters” for choosing peer-reviewed journals.
The last fully-maintained lists remain 2023 Q4 and 2024 Q4.
For appointments, promotions and CAS after Feb 2025, institutions must rely on the new parameters (peer-review rigour, indexing in Scopus/WoS, ethical policies, etc.).
Faculties should attach proof of indexing (e.g., Scopus/WoS screenshot) with every API/CAS submission.
Why UGC-CARE List is Published?
The number of research articles published in reputed journals is one of the globally-accepted indicators considered for various academic purposes including institutional ranking, appointments and promotions of faculty members, and award of research degrees.
The problem of predatory/dubious/sub-standard journals has become a cause of serious concern all over the world.
The percentage of research articles published in poor-quality journals is reported to be high in India, which has adversely affected its image. Hence to improve this UGC prepares “UGC-CARE List”.
What did UGC-CARE list include?
The UGC-CARE List includes journals indexed in Scopus, Web of Science, and a list of Indian journals from disciplines of Arts, Humanities, Languages, Culture and Indian Knowledge Systems.
How many groups are there on UGC-CARE List?
Initially, there were four groups on the UGC CARE list
Group A: Research Journals from all disciplines which are indexed in Scopus (Source List) or Web of Science (Arts and Humanities Citation Index Source Publication, Science Citation Index Expanded Source Publication, Social Science Citation Index Source Publication).
Group B: UGC Care List of Journals from the previous list which is qualified as per the analysis protocols.
Group C: Recommended journals by UGC-CARE Council members from all disciplines which are qualified as per the analysis protocols.
Group D: Journals submitted by UGC-CARE Universities for all disciplines and languages which are qualified as per the analysis protocols.
But as per June 2022 update there are two groups in UGC CARE List of Journals
Group I – Journals found qualified through UGC-CARE protocols
Group II – Journals indexed in globally recognised databases such as Scopus Source List, Web of Science
In the group I, there are five subcategories of journals
- UGC CARE List Science Journals – 252
- UGC CARE List Social Science Journals Journals – 320
- UGC CARE List Arts & Humanities Journals – 340
- UGC CARE List Multidisciplinary Journals – 12
- UGC CARE List Journals in Indian Languages (including Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, etc.) – 282
Why was the list discontinued?
The system faced significant criticism for several reasons :
- Over-centralization and Lack of Transparency: The process for adding or removing journals was often seen as slow and unclear.
- Exclusion of Quality Journals: Many reputable journals, especially in Indian languages (like Hindi, Tamil, Bengali) and non-STEM fields (humanities, social sciences), were not included.
- Uncertainty for Researchers: Journals were often removed from the list without warning, invalidating publications that researchers had counted on for their careers.
- Rise of “Cloned Journals”: Predatory publishers began creating fake websites that mimicked real UGC CARE journals to trick authors.
UGC CARE List of Journals
| # | Journal Title | Publisher | ISSN | E-ISSN | Coverage & Current Status* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Acta Fytotechnica et Zootechnica | Slovak Univ. of Agriculture in Nitra | 1335-258X | 1336-9245 | Jun 2019 – Jul 2020 • Indexed in Scopus |
| 2 | Acta Graphica | Faculty of Graphic Arts, Univ. of Zagreb | 0353-4707 | 1848-3828 | Jun 2019 – Oct 2020 • Discontinued Oct 2020 |
| 3 | Acta Universitatis Apulensis | Dept. of Math & Informatics, Univ. of Alba Iulia | 1582-5329 | — | Jun 2019 – Oct 2020 • Discontinued Oct 2020 |
| 4 | Acta Universitatis Matthiae Belii Series Mathematics | Matej Bel Univ. | 1338-712X | 1338-7111 | Jun 2019 – Oct 2020 • Discontinued Oct 2020 |
| 5 | ADBU Journal of Engineering Technology | Assam Don Bosco Univ. | — | 2348-7305 | Jun 2019 – Jul 2022 • Discontinued Jul 2022 |
| 6 | Advanced Engineering Forum | Trans Tech Publications | 2234-9898 | 2234-991X | Jun 2019 – Present |
| 7 | Advanced Materials Research | Scientific.Net | 1022-6680 | 1662-8985 | Jun 2019 – Present |
| 8 | Advanced Science Letters | American Scientific Publishers | 1936-6612 | 1936-7317 | Jun 2019 – Jul 2020 • Discontinued Jul 2020 |
| 9 | Advancements in Homeopathic Research | Advancements in Homeopathic Research | 2456-3668 | — | Oct 2023 – Present |
| 10 | Advances & Applications in Mathematical Sciences | Mili Publications | 0974-6803 | — | Jun 2019 – Jan 2023 • Discontinued Jan 2023 |
| 11 | Advances in Agriculture | Hindawi Ltd. | 2356-654X | 2314-7539 | Jun 2019 – Jan 2023 • Indexed in Scopus |
| 12 | Advances in Environment Research | Techno Press | 2234-1722 | 2234-1730 | Jun 2019 – Present |
| 13 | Advances in Zoology & Botany | Horizon Research Publishing | 2331-5083 | 2331-5091 | Jun 2019 – Jan 2023 • Discontinued Jan 2023 |
| 14 | African Diaspora Journal of Mathematics | Mathematical Research Publisher | 1539-854X | — | Jun 2019 – Jul 2022 • Discontinued Jul 2022 |
| 15 | Afrika Statistika | Statistics & Probability African Soc. | 2316-090X | — | Jun 2019 – Present |
| 16 | Agricultural Economics Research Review | Agri. Economics Research Assoc. | 0971-3441 | 0974-0279 | Jan 2023 – Present |
| 17 | Agricultural Research Journal | Punjab Agricultural Univ. | 2395-1435 | 2395-146X | Sep 2019 – Apr 2022 • Indexed in Scopus |
| 18 | Agricultural Science Digest | Agri. Research Comm. Centre | 0253-150X | 0976-0547 | Jan 2021 – Apr 2022 • Indexed in Scopus |
| 19 | AIMS Molecular Science | AIMS Press | — | 2372-0301 | Jun 2019 – Present |
| 20 | AIS Transactions on Human-Computer Interaction | Assoc. for Information Systems | — | 1944-3900 | Jun 2019 – Apr 2021 • Discontinued Apr 2021 |
| 21 | Al Ameen Journal of Medical Sciences | Al Ameen Medical College | 0974-1143 | — | Jun 2019 – Present |
| 22 | Albanian Journal of Mathematics | Dept. of Math & Statistics, Oakland Univ. | 1930-1235 | — | Jun 2019 – Present |
| 23 | Algological Studies | Schweizerbart Science Publishers | 1864-1318 | 2363-7080 | Jun 2019 – Apr 2021 • Discontinued Apr 2021 |
| 24 | Aligarh Journal of Statistics | Dept. of Statistics, Aligarh Muslim Univ. | 0971-0388 | — | Jun 2019 – Present |
| 25 | Analytical Chemistry Letters | Taylor & Francis | 2229-7928 | 2230-7532 | Jun 2019 – Jul 2023 • Indexed in Scopus |
| 26 | Ancient Science of Life | AVP Research Foundation | 0257-7941 | 2249-9547 | Jun 2019 – Apr 2021 • Discontinued Apr 2021 |
| 27 | Animal Systematics, Evolution & Diversity | Korean Soc. of Systematic Zoology | 2234-6953 | 2234-8190 | Jun 2019 – Present |
| 28 | Annales Mathématiques Blaise Pascal | Blaise Pascal Univ. | 1259-1734 | 2118-7436 | Jun 2019 – Sep 2021 • Indexed in Scopus |
| 29 | Annals of Ayurvedic Medicine | Soc. of Ayurvedic Physicians of India | 2277-4092 | 2347-6923 | Jun 2019 – Present |
| 30 | Annals of Faculty Engineering Hunedoara (Int. J. Eng.) | Univ. Politehnica Timisoara | 1584-2665 | 1584-2673 | Jun 2019 – Jul 2020 • Discontinued Jul 2020 |
| 31 | Annals of Plant & Soil Research | G. K. V. Society | 0972-1959 | 2347-6036 | Jun 2019 – Present |
| 32 | Annals of the National Academy of Medical Sciences (India) | National Academy of Medical Sciences | 0379-038X | 2454-5635 | Jun 2019 – Present |
| 33 | Annals of West University of Timisoara – Math & CS | Sciendo / De Gruyter | — | 1841-3307 | Jun 2019 – Oct 2020 • Discontinued Oct 2020 |
| 34 | Annals. Food Science & Technology | Valahia Univ. Press | 2065-2828 | 2344-4916 | Jun 2019 – Present |
| 35 | Antennae: The Journal of Nature in Visual Culture | Univ. of Strathclyde | 1756-9575 | — | Jun 2019 – Present |
| 36 | Applied Biological Research | Centre for Advancement of Applied Science | 0972-0979 | 0974-4517 | Oct 2021 – Present |
| 37 | Applied Ecology & Environmental Sciences | Science & Edu. Publishing | 2328-3912 | 2328-3920 | Jun 2019 – Jan 2023 • Discontinued Jan 2023 |
| 38 | Applied Water Science | Springer | 2190-5487 | 2190-5495 | Sep 2019 – Mar 2021 • Indexed in Scopus/WoS |
| 39 | Arab Journal of Forensic Sciences & Forensic Medicine | Naif Arab Univ. for Security Sciences | 1658-6786 | 1658-6794 | Jun 2019 – Apr 2022 • Indexed in Scopus |
| 40 | Arab Journal of Mathematical Sciences | Elsevier | 1319-5166 | — | Jun 2019 – Jul 2020 • Indexed in Scopus |
| 41 | Arabian Journal of Mathematics | Springer | 2193-5343 | 2193-5351 | Jun 2019 – Sep 2020 • Indexed in Scopus |
| 42 | Archives of Medicine & Health Sciences | Yenepoya Univ. | 2321-4848 | 2321-6085 | Jun 2019 – Present |
| 43 | Arctoa: A Journal of Bryology | KMK Scientific Press Ltd. | 0131-1379 | — | Jun 2019 – Sep 2021 • Indexed in Scopus |
| 44 | Asian Journal of Agriculture & Development | SEARCA | 1656-4383 | 2599-3879 | Jun 2019 – Present |
| 45 | Asian Journal of Organic & Medicinal Chemistry | Asian Publication Corp. | — | 2456-8937 | Jun 2019 – Jul 2022 • Discontinued Jul 2022 |
| 46 | Asian Pacific Journal of Health Sciences | Academy of Indian Health Professionals | 2350-0964 | 2349-0659 | Apr 2021 – Jul 2022 • Discontinued Jul 2022 |
| 47 | Atmospheric & Oceanic Science Letters | Taylor & Francis | 1674-2834 | 2376-6123 | Jun 2019 – Jul 2020 • Indexed in Scopus |
| 48 | Autism & Developmental Language Impairments | Sage Publications | 2396-9415 | 2396-9415 | Jun 2019 – Sep 2020 • Indexed in Scopus |
| 49 | Ayu | Inst. for PG Teaching & Research in Ayurveda | 0974-8520 | 0976-9382 | Jun 2019 – Present |
| 50 | Bharati Vidyapeeth Medical Journal | Bharati Vidyapeeth | 2584-1475 | 2582-9874 | Apr 2024 – Present |
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