📢 UGC Discontinues CARE Journal List: What Researchers Need to Know in 2025

🚨 Major Policy Shift: UGC CARE List Discontinued, New Criteria Announced

In a landmark decision, the University Grants Commission (UGC), during its 584th meeting held on October 3, 2024, officially discontinued the UGC CARE List of approved journals. This move supersedes the earlier notice dated November 28, 2018, which had formed the basis for the UGC-CARE initiative.
Moving forward, researchers, faculty, and students are expected to follow suggestive parameters for identifying credible peer-reviewed journals. The new policy ensures a shift from static listings to transparent, qualitative standards for evaluating journals.

✅ IJNRD Aligns with the Latest 2025 UGC CARE Guidelines

The International Journal of Novel Research and Development (IJNRD) proudly complies with all the latest UGC CARE 2025 peer-review standards. As a multidisciplinary, peer-reviewed, open-access international journal, IJNRD offers a trusted platform for scholars, ensuring ethical publishing, CrossRef DOI registration, and alignment with Scopus and UGC CARE norms.

📢 Your Research, Our Platform — If you’re looking for a journal that aligns with UGC-CARE, Scopus, Web of Science-WOS standards, submit your paper to IJNRD, which fully complies with the latest UGC CARE guidelines.
👉 Visit: www.ijnrd.org | 📩 Email: editor@ijnrd.org | 📄 Submit Your Article Today

📄 What Are the New 2025 UGC Guidelines for Recognizing Quality Journals?

UGC has issued a comprehensive framework to help academia verify whether a journal is genuine, peer-reviewed, and ethically managed. Below are the detailed parameters researchers should now follow.

🔍 1. Journal Title Verification
- Ensure the journal title is unique and does not imitate well-established or reputed journals.
- Check title authenticity using official platforms like the ISSN Portal.
- Avoid journals with deceptive or cloned names.
🔢 2. ISSN Verification
- Confirm both print and online ISSNs are registered.
- Cross-verify using ISSN India (NSL-NIScPR) or the global ISSN database.
- Ensure ISSNs are consistent across all platforms.
📆 3. Publication Frequency and Consistency
- The journal should have a defined publishing schedule (monthly, quarterly, etc.).
- Past issues should be consistently released on time.
- Verify issue frequency through platforms like Google Scholar, Academia.edu, or SSRN.
🏢 4. Publisher Identity and Contact Transparency
- Confirm the publisher has a valid business identity and clear contact details.
- Check listings in DOAJ, Scopus, or Web of Science.
- Avoid publishers using free email services or hiding physical locations.
🧪 5. Transparent Peer Review System
- A clear peer-review policy must be available publicly.
- Journals should disclose the review process, timelines, and reviewer criteria.
- Integration with Scholar9.com or similar platforms enhances review transparency.
  Example: Sample Transparent Review
🌐 6. Website Hosted on Secure and Certified Domain
- The domain should be official and secure (HTTPS).
- Avoid subdomains or free hosting (e.g., journal.freehost.com).
- Check ownership using WHOIS lookup.
🔓 7. Clear Access Policy – Open Access or Subscription
- The journal should disclose if it is Open Access or Subscription-Based.
- All Article Processing Charges or subscription fees should be stated upfront.
- IJNRD operates as a low-cost open-access journal, with no hidden charges.

📛 8. Plagiarism Detection Standards
- Journals must use tools like Turnitin, iThenticate, or PlagScan.
- Acceptable similarity index: under 10–15%, excluding references.
- Authors should receive plagiarism reports pre-publication.
👨‍⚖️ 9. Editorial Board & Reviewer Transparency
- Detailed profiles of editors and reviewers must be publicly available, including:
🏛️ 10. Repository Indexing and Long-Term Accessibility
- Journals should be listed in DOAJ, CORE, PubMed, arXiv.
- Institutional repositories like ONOS.
- Ensure permanent public access to published articles.
🗂️ 11. Archival and Preservation Policies
- Verify use of services like LOCKSS, CLOCKSS, Portico.
- Confirm that past issues are archived and available online.
- Journals like IJNRD assign CrossRef DOIs to ensure traceability.
💰 12. Fee Disclosure & Transparency
- The journal must publish a clear breakdown of Article Processing Charges and optional fees (e.g., fast track, print copies).
- IJNRD maintains full fee transparency with fair pricing.
🔗 13. Indexing in Recognized Databases
- Verify indexing in Google Scholar, Academia.edu, ResearchGate, DOAJ, Scopus, Web of Science (if applicable).
🧾 14. DOI Assignment and Digital Archiving
- Ensure journals assign valid DOIs from CrossRef or DOI.org.
- Check DOI resolvability through official directories.
- IJNRD assigns a DOI to every published article.
⭐ 15. Legitimate Impact Factor Claims
- Only consider journals with genuine impact metrics, like Google Scholar h-index or Scopus CiteScore.
- Be wary of self-declared or predatory “impact factors.”
🧭 16. Ethical Publishing Practices
- Journals should follow international standards from COPE, ICMJE.
- Display clear guidelines on authorship, plagiarism, and conflicts of interest.

📝 IJNRD: Your Trusted Platform for Ethical Research Publication

IJNRD is proud to fully comply with the 2025 UGC CARE Peer Review Journal Policy, ensuring:
Transparent peer review
Low-cost, open-access publishing
Verified CrossRef DOI assignment
Inclusion in scholarly repositories
Full editorial and ethical integrity
Your Research, Our Platform – Publish with Confidence.
📩 Visit: www.ijnrd.org
📧 Contact: editor@ijnrd.org
🔗 Submit: https://www.ijnrd.org/submit.php

🤔 FAQ Section

Has the UGC CARE journal list been discontinued?
- Yes, as of October 2024, UGC officially discontinued the CARE journal listing and introduced new suggestive parameters for journal evaluation.
What are the new UGC CARE guidelines in 2025?
- UGC now recommends journals based on transparent peer review, editorial credibility, ISSN verification, and more instead of a fixed list.
Is IJNRD still recognized after UGC CARE list discontinuation?
- Yes, IJNRD complies fully with the new 2025 UGC CARE peer-review policy and remains a reliable multidisciplinary journal.
How can I check if a journal is genuine or fake?
- Check the journal's ISSN, publisher details, domain, indexing, DOI presence, and transparency in peer review and ethics.
How do I verify a journal’s peer review process?
- Legitimate journals disclose peer-review workflows and provide reviewer identities, timelines, and public reports.
Does IJNRD follow the CrossRef DOI system?
- Yes, IJNRD assigns CrossRef DOIs to all published articles for global discoverability and traceability.
What is a predatory journal?
- Predatory journals exploit authors by charging fees without providing real peer review or indexing. Always verify credentials.
What makes a journal compliant with UGC norms now?
- It must follow ethical publishing, transparent review, valid ISSN, indexing, and long-term archiving.
Are open-access journals recognized by UGC?
- Yes, if they meet the new UGC parameters, including proper peer review and indexing.
How do I identify a fake impact factor?
- Cross-check metrics on official sites like Google Scholar or Scopus. Avoid self-declared or misleading scores.

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