UGC Guidelines for Research Journals (2026): The Complete Guide for Researchers and Editors

Last updated: September 2026

If you publish research in India, you have probably searched for a “UGC approved journals list.” Most guides still miss one thing: there is no longer a central UGC list to check. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has replaced it with a quality framework and asked universities to apply it themselves.

This guide explains the current UGC standards and guidelines for research journals. It covers what changed, the eight criteria journals are judged on, how to check a journal step by step, the plagiarism limits, whether PhD scholars must publish, and how editors can align their journals with UGC expectations.

Quick answer: UGC no longer maintains the UGC-CARE list. Its guidance is now a set of suggestive parameters, organised under eight criteria with 35 numbered sub-parameters in the July 2025 annexure. Universities use them to decide which journals are acceptable. Plagiarism is governed separately by the UGC’s 2018 academic integrity regulations, which apply to students, faculty, researchers and staff of all higher educational institutions.

In this guide

UGC-CARE list discontinued: what happened
UGC’s 8 criteria for peer-reviewed journals
How to check whether a journal meets UGC standards
UGC plagiarism rules
Is publishing mandatory for PhD scholars?
Red flags of predatory journals
How journal editors can align with UGC standards
FAQs

1. UGC-CARE List Discontinued: What Happened and Why

UGC started the Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics (CARE) in 2018 to replace the older UGC-approved journal list. That model was later retired. The timeline:

3 October 2024: The 584th UGC meeting decided to discontinue the CARE listing, based on expert recommendations.
11 February 2025: UGC discontinued the CARE list and invited feedback on draft parameters until 25 February.
24 June 2025: At its 591st meeting, the Commission approved the final parameters and decided to host a reference list of 1,474 CARE journals as on 10 February 2025.
16 July 2025: UGC issued the final public notice with the annexure of suggestive parameters.

Why was it scrapped? Critics cited over-centralisation, delays, predatory journals on the list, a lack of transparency in decisions, and the exclusion of Indian-language journals.

Is the old list still useful? Only as a reference. UGC says the frozen list is a reference resource, and a journal’s inclusion or exclusion does not mean the Commission validates or endorses it. UGC hosts it at ugc.gov.in. Several websites advertise “UGC CARE approved” journals and charge fees for verification, but the official source is free.

As of this update (September 2026), the July 2025 notice is the latest UGC position I could find on journal selection. Check ugc.gov.in for anything newer.

2. UGC’s 8 Criteria for Peer-Reviewed Journals

UGC’s annexure encourages institutions to use these parameters as general guidelines for quality, transparency and relevance, tailored to their disciplines. The eight criteria are:

Journal basics: a valid ISSN, a regular publication schedule, publisher and contact details, a transparent peer-review policy, a secure website on a certified domain, a clear open-access or subscription policy, an archival policy, and inclusion under repositories such as ONOS (One Nation One Subscription).
Editorial board: named members with affiliations and subject expertise, plus a rigorous review process with clear timelines.
Editorial policy: defined aims, scope and subject areas, transparent article processing charges (APCs), publishing timelines and acceptance rate.
Content quality: articles that advance existing knowledge and stay within the journal’s stated scope.
Journal standards: accurate referencing, professional layout, quality visuals, a citation record, a well-maintained website, print continuity where applicable, and availability in Indian languages.
Research ethics: author ethics guidelines, plagiarism prevention within standard similarity limits, conflict-of-interest disclosure, and a specific policy on AI-generated content.
Visibility: an impact factor or similar metric where applicable, and indexation in reputed databases.
Impact: self-citation within a range typical of peer journals, total citation rate and CiteScore compared with similar journals.

The parameters are suggestive, not a pass/fail test. UGC suggests that institutions may set up internal committees to fine-tune them for their own needs. So your university’s Doctoral Committee, research cell or IQAC ultimately decides what counts. Publishing in a journal your institution doesn’t accept can mean thesis-submission problems or lost credit for promotion.

3. How to Check Whether a Journal Meets UGC Standards

Use this checklist before you submit:

Verify the ISSN independently. Check it on the ISSN Portal (issn.org) rather than trusting the journal’s website.
Inspect the publisher and website. Look for a real address, working contact details, a professional domain and a visible archive of past issues.
Read the peer-review policy. It should describe the process and realistic timelines. Review that takes a day or two is a warning sign.
Verify the editorial board. Search a few members by name and confirm their affiliations and expertise.
Look for transparent fees. The APC and any waiver policy should be stated up front, not revealed after acceptance.
Confirm indexing at the source. Check the claimed database yourself (Scopus, Web of Science, DOAJ and so on). A logo on a homepage proves nothing.
Check the ethics pages. You should find plagiarism screening, conflict-of-interest rules and an AI-use policy.
Ask your institution. Confirm the journal is acceptable for your degree, appointment or promotion.

You can also cross-check UGC’s frozen 1,474-journal reference list, remembering that it is not an endorsement.

4. UGC Plagiarism Rules for Research Papers and Theses

The UGC (Promotion of Academic Integrity and Prevention of Plagiarism in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2018 set the similarity limits. They were notified on 23 July 2018. Institutions must adopt plagiarism-detection tools and set up Academic Integrity Panels. Penalties depend on the similarity level:

Up to 10% (Level 0): minor similarity, no penalty.
Above 10% to 40% (Level 1):
- Thesis: the student must submit a revised script within a period not exceeding six months.
- Published research: the author is asked to withdraw the manuscript.
Above 40% to 60% (Level 2):
- Thesis: the student is debarred from submitting a revised script for one year.
- Published research: withdrawal of the manuscript, loss of one annual increment, and no new supervisees for two years.
Above 60% (Level 3):
- Thesis: registration for the programme is cancelled.
- Published research: withdrawal of the manuscript, loss of two successive increments, and no new supervisees for three consecutive years.

Certain content, such as properly attributed quotations and the reference list, is generally excluded from the count. Read the regulation or ask your library how your institution’s software applies it. These rules also predate mainstream generative AI, which is why UGC’s journal parameters now ask journals to publish an AI-content policy. If you use AI tools while writing, follow the target journal’s policy and disclose accordingly.

5. Is Publishing Mandatory for PhD Scholars? UGC 2022 Rules

Not under the current UGC regulations. Under the earlier rules, PhD scholars had to publish at least one paper in a refereed journal and make two conference or seminar presentations before submitting their thesis. The 2022 PhD Regulations scrapped that mandatory requirement. UGC’s chairperson explained that a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t suit every field. He gave the example of computer science, where many scholars present at conferences rather than publish in journals.

That doesn’t make publishing optional in practice:

Publications remain valuable when applying for jobs or postdoctoral positions.
Many universities, departments and funding bodies set their own requirements. Read your university’s PhD ordinance.
A UGC committee recommended that publications in predatory journals, or conferences sponsored by their publishers, should not count for academic credit.

6. Red Flags: How to Spot Predatory Journals

The end of a central list makes your own due diligence more important. Warning signs include:

Unsolicited emails inviting you to submit, especially with flattering subject lines.
Acceptance within one to three days, which is not real peer review, or guaranteed acceptance.
A missing ISSN, an anonymous editorial board, no ethics policy, or vague APCs.
Editors or reviewers you can’t find online with a verifiable institutional affiliation.
“UGC CARE listed” badges that no one has authenticated.
A journal name that closely imitates a well-known title.

7. How Journal Editors Can Align With UGC Standards

If you run a journal, treat UGC’s eight criteria as a self-audit:

Publish the basics on your website: ISSN, publisher details, contact information, peer-review policy and archival policy.
Show your editorial board: full names, affiliations and expertise, plus a documented review workflow with timelines.
Be transparent about policy: aims and scope, APCs and waivers, average time to publication, and acceptance rate.
Strengthen ethics: author guidelines, plagiarism screening, conflict-of-interest disclosure and a written AI-use policy. Publication-ethics frameworks such as COPE are a good starting point.
Improve discoverability: join repositories or umbrellas such as ONOS, pursue indexing in reputed databases, and keep self-citation within a healthy range.
Consider language access: multilingual content is one of UGC’s journal-standards parameters, particularly for Indian languages.

8. Frequently Asked Questions

Is the UGC-CARE list still valid in 2026?

No. UGC discontinued it and uploaded a frozen list of 1,474 journals as on 10 February 2025 for reference only.

Where can I find the UGC approved journals list?

There is no active approved list. The frozen reference list is on the UGC website at ugc.gov.in. Your institution decides which journals it accepts.

Is Scopus or Web of Science indexing mandatory?

The annexure refers generally to indexation in reputed databases and does not name a mandatory one. It treats indexation as one visibility parameter among many. Your university may set its own requirement.

Are journals in Indian languages eligible?

The parameters explicitly value multilingual availability. The exclusion of Indian-language journals was one of the criticisms of the old CARE list. Confirm acceptance with your institution.

What plagiarism percentage is allowed?

Similarity up to 10% carries no penalty under the 2018 regulations. Higher levels trigger the penalties in Section 4.

Who decides whether a journal counts for promotion?

Your institution. UGC encourages institutions to use the parameters and to form internal committees to adapt them.

Conclusion

UGC’s approach to research journals has moved from “check the list” to “check the evidence.” The eight criteria give you a structured way to judge any journal. The 2018 plagiarism regulations set clear similarity limits, and the 2022 PhD regulations removed the blanket publication mandate while leaving room for university-level rules.

For researchers, the safest routine is to verify the journal yourself and confirm your institution accepts it. Editors should audit their journals against the same eight criteria.

This article is for general information. UGC rules and institutional policies can change, so confirm details on ugc.gov.in and with your university.

UGC Guidelines for Research Journals (2026): Complete Guide