Is the UGC-CARE List Discontinued? What It Means in 2026

Yes. The University Grants Commission (UGC) discontinued the UGC-CARE list of journals through a public notice dated 11 February 2025, and there is no central “UGC-approved journal list” in 2026. In its place, UGC has issued suggestive parameters that universities, colleges, faculty and students can use to judge peer-reviewed journals for themselves. This guide explains what changed, what the parameters say, and what it means for students, Ph.D. scholars and teachers in 2026.

What UGC-CARE was

UGC-CARE (Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics) was set up by the UGC in 2018. One of its main tasks was to maintain a list of journals considered acceptable for academic purposes, such as faculty recruitment, promotion and research evaluation. For several years, “UGC-CARE listed” became the main test many Indian institutions applied to a journal.

The list attracted steady criticism. Common complaints included delays in adding or removing journals, the inclusion of some questionable titles, limited transparency in decision-making, and the exclusion of many journals in Indian languages and in the humanities and social sciences.

What UGC decided in 2025

February 2025: the list is discontinued

On 11 February 2025, UGC issued a public notice discontinuing the UGC-CARE journal listing. The decision followed the recommendations of an expert committee, which had reviewed the centralised model and found that judgments about journals, particularly outside science and technology, involved a degree of subjectivity. UGC also released draft suggestive parameters for choosing peer-reviewed journals and invited feedback on them.

The stated aim was decentralisation. Rather than one central list, higher education institutions are expected to develop their own mechanisms for evaluating journals.

June and July 2025: parameters approved

After the consultation, the Commission approved the suggestive parameters at its meeting on 24 June 2025, and communicated them to institutions by a letter dated 16 July 2025. Along with the parameters, UGC shared a reference list of the journals that were on UGC-CARE as of 10 February 2025. UGC was explicit that this reference list is for information only, and that a journal’s inclusion or exclusion does not mean the Commission validates or endorses it.

What the suggestive parameters cover

The parameters are grouped under broad heads. In summary:

The word “suggestive” is important. These are not a new list and not a rigid scoring formula. They are criteria that institutions may adopt, adapt or build on through their own committees.

What this means in 2026

For students and Ph.D. scholars

• No journal can honestly claim to be “UGC-CARE listed” as a current status. If a journal advertises itself as “UGC approved” or “UGC-CARE approved” in 2026, treat it as a warning sign rather than a selling point.
• Your university’s rules now matter most. Check whether your university or department has notified its own journal evaluation criteria or approved list, and follow it.
• Ask your supervisor or Research Advisory Committee before you submit, especially if you are publishing for course or thesis requirements.
• Use the parameters yourself. They make a useful checklist. Our guide on how to choose a law journal turns similar checks into a practical routine.

For faculty and job applicants

• Publications will be assessed under the criteria your institution adopts, so keep evidence of each journal’s peer review policy, editorial board and indexing, if any, with your records.
• Papers published while a journal was on UGC-CARE remain part of the historical record, but how they are weighed in a particular selection or promotion is a matter for the relevant institution and rules.
• Expect closer scrutiny of journal quality, not less. Institutions that adopt weak criteria risk crediting papers from dubious journals.

For journal editors

The parameters reward transparency: published review policies, named editors, clear fees, ethics and AI policies, archiving and regular publication. New journals cannot show long citation histories, but they can meet the preliminary, editorial and ethical criteria from day one.

Common myths in 2026

A practical checklist under the new approach

1. Read your institution’s current notification on journal evaluation, if any.
2. Check the journal’s scope against your paper.
3. Confirm it publishes a peer review policy and a named, relevant editorial board.
4. Check its fee policy: published in advance and charged only after acceptance.
5. Verify its ISSN on the ISSN Portal and any indexing claims on the databases themselves.
6. Check for ethics, plagiarism and AI policies.
7. Look out for the warning signs in our guide on identifying predatory journals.

Where LJLPS stands

The Lexfolio Journal of Law, Policy and Social Sciences (LJLPS) is a new journal and makes no claim of UGC approval, indexing or impact factor. What it offers is what the parameters value: double-blind peer review, a published peer review policy and ethics policy, open access under CC BY 4.0, and transparent fees charged only after acceptance.

Frequently asked questions

Is the UGC-CARE list still valid in 2026?

No. UGC discontinued the UGC-CARE journal listing by a public notice of 11 February 2025. There is no official UGC-CARE list for 2026.

What has replaced the UGC-CARE list?

No central list has replaced it. UGC approved suggestive parameters in 2025 for choosing peer-reviewed journals, and institutions are expected to set up their own evaluation mechanisms.

Are papers published in former UGC-CARE journals still valid?

They remain published papers. How a particular institution weighs them for recruitment, promotion or degree requirements depends on that institution’s rules, so check with it directly.

How do I know which journals my university accepts?

Check your university’s research or IQAC notifications, or ask your department, supervisor or research committee. Many institutions have issued their own guidance since 2025.