UGC CARE Publication Support
Journal checks now the UGC-CARE list is gone, clone-journal detection, and a manuscript ready to submit.
For years, “UGC CARE-listed” was the simplest answer to the question every Indian scholar asks: which journals count? That answer has changed. The University Grants Commission announced in February 2025 that it was discontinuing the UGC-CARE list of journals, and it has since issued suggestive parameters that universities and colleges are expected to use to judge journal quality for themselves. There is no longer a single live national list to look a journal up in.
In practice this means the rules now sit with your institution. Some universities continue to accept journals that were CARE-listed; some have drawn up their own approved lists or committees; some have moved to requiring Scopus or Web of Science journals instead. Before you choose a journal, you need to know what your university currently accepts. You should also check the UGC website and your university’s latest circulars yourself, because this area is still settling.
This page describes how we help scholars publish in journals their university recognises, including journals that were on the CARE list. The name of the service reflects what scholars still search for; the work reflects the rules as they stand now.
Scope
What’s included
Every stage can be taken on its own. The first, finding out what your university currently accepts, is the one we recommend everyone starts with.
Current rule check
We read your university’s latest PhD regulation or circular with you and note exactly which journals it accepts now, what it says about formerly CARE-listed journals, and what to confirm in writing.
Journal evaluation
Candidate journals assessed against your university’s criteria and the UGC’s suggestive parameters: ISSN, editorial board, peer-review policy, publishing regularity, ethics and archiving.
Journal website verification
We confirm the website you would submit to belongs to the real journal: domain history, ISSN record, publisher or society details, and contact addresses matched to independent sources.
Manuscript development
Structure, argument and language review by a reviewer from your field. Many of these journals are in the humanities, social sciences, commerce and education, where conventions differ from the sciences.
Formatting and submission
Formatting to the journal’s own guidelines, which for society and university journals are sometimes brief or out of date; we ask the editor where they are unclear.
Free journal check
Been offered “UGC CARE publication” by an agent? Send us the journal name and we’ll tell you what we find about it. The check is free, whether or not you work with us.
Quality
How quality is verified
These are the checks every piece of work goes through before it reaches you.
Your rule, quoted and dated
Our recommendations start from the text of your university’s current regulation, quoted with its date. If the rule is unclear, we tell you what to ask and whom, rather than guessing.
ISSN checked at the source
We check the journal’s ISSN in the ISSN International Centre’s portal and confirm the title, publisher and medium match, because copied journal websites often reuse a real print journal’s ISSN.
Website ownership traced
We compare the submission site with the publisher, university or society that owns the journal, check when the domain was registered, and look for an official link from the owner to the site.
Editorial board members verified
We spot-check that listed editors exist, work where the journal says, and are aware of their role. An editorial board that can’t be verified is one of the most useful indicators to check.
Similarity report and references checked
Each draft is returned with a similarity report, and every reference is checked against its source before the paper goes out.
Time
Realistic timelines
University and society journals in India vary more than any other group: some review in weeks, others in many months, and some publish only once or twice a year.
| Stage | Typical time | What it depends on |
|---|---|---|
| Current rule check | 1–3 working days | How clearly your university’s circular is written |
| Journal evaluation and website check | 3–5 working days | Number of candidate journals |
| Manuscript development and formatting | 2–4 weeks | How developed the paper is, and your turnaround on drafts |
| Peer review to decision | 1–6 months | The journal and its reviewers |
| Wait for the next issue | Up to a year for annual journals | The journal’s publishing schedule |
Status as of our last review
Where the UGC CARE list stands now
This summary reflects public UGC notices and reporting up to our last review of this page. Rules can change, so always check the UGC website and your university.
What changed
The UGC decided in late 2024 to stop maintaining the UGC-CARE list, and announced the discontinuation by public notice in February 2025. In mid-2025 it approved a set of suggestive parameters for peer-reviewed journals (grouped under headings such as editorial policy, content quality, research ethics and visibility) and asked higher education institutions to use them, adapted to their own disciplines, when deciding which journals to recognise. A copy of the list as it stood when it was discontinued was reportedly made available for reference only, with a note that inclusion does not imply endorsement.
What it means for your PhD
The practical question is no longer “is this journal on the CARE list?” but “does my university accept this journal?”. Institutions have responded differently, and some departments within the same university apply different rules. A paper already published in a formerly listed journal may well still be accepted, but that is your university’s decision, and it is best confirmed with them directly.
Why copied journal websites mattered
Many journals on the list were print journals run by universities, societies or small publishers, some with no strong web presence. Some third-party websites reused those journals’ titles and ISSNs, collected fees, and published papers that the real journal never received, so some scholars later found that their “CARE-listed” paper did not appear in the genuine journal. The same pattern is still seen with Scopus and Web of Science journals. Our UGC CARE guide and predatory journal checklist explain the indicators worth checking.
If your university now requires indexed journals
Some institutions have moved towards Scopus or Web of Science for PhD requirements. If that applies to you, see Scopus publication support, where the timelines and checks are different.
Pricing
How pricing works
A rule check and journal evaluation is a small, contained job; full manuscript support is larger. Either way, you get a fixed quote after we have seen your regulation and your draft, agreed in writing before any work starts.
Many genuine university and society journals charge little or nothing to publish. If a journal has a processing or publication fee, you pay it to the journal directly after acceptance. Genuine journals typically request fees only after review and acceptance, which makes the timing of any payment request a useful point to check.
What the quote depends on
- Which stages you need
- How many candidate journals need evaluating
- How developed the manuscript is
- Subject area and language conventions of the target journal
- Your deadline, if it compresses our part of the work
Every quote includes
- A written scope listing exactly what will be delivered
- A fixed price agreed before any payment
- Payment in stages, tied to delivery
- Revision rounds stated in the scope
Process
How it works
Free consultation
A call or message with a specialist in your subject. We review your material and say plainly whether we are the right fit.
Written scope and quote
You get a written scope, a timeline and a fixed price. Work and payment begin once you agree to it.
Staged delivery
Work arrives in stages you review, each with a similarity report where text is involved. You pay stage by stage.
Revisions and hand-over
Revision rounds are included. At the end you get the final files, and an explanation of anything you’ll need to defend.
Keep reading
Guides and related services
How to choose a journal for your paper
Scope, indexing, speed and fees: a shortlisting method that avoids desk rejection and predatory journals.
The UGC CARE list, explained
What the list is, what the groups mean, how to verify a journal — and how to recognise clone journals.
How to spot a predatory journal
A checklist to run before you submit anywhere — and what to do if you’ve already submitted.
PhD timeline and milestones in India
Coursework to viva under the UGC 2022 regulations, year by year, with the usual sticking points.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is the UGC CARE list still valid?
The UGC announced in February 2025 that it was discontinuing the UGC-CARE list, and it now offers suggestive parameters for institutions to evaluate journals themselves. There is no live national list to be newly added to. Your university decides what it accepts, so check its current regulations and the UGC website, as practice is still evolving.
I published in a CARE-listed journal before the list was discontinued. Does my paper still count?
In many cases universities continue to recognise such papers, but the decision rests with each university. Ask your department or research cell for a written answer, quoting the journal, its ISSN and your publication date.
An agent is offering “UGC CARE publication in 20 days”. Is it genuine?
It is worth checking carefully. Journals are no longer being newly CARE-approved, and peer review runs on the journal’s own schedule. Offers like this were often linked to copied journal websites even when the list existed. Send us the journal details through the contact page and we will check it for free.
Can you guarantee acceptance in a university-recognised journal?
Acceptance is decided by the journal’s editor and reviewers. We help you choose a journal your university accepts, confirm it is genuine, and prepare a manuscript that gives you a fair chance.
What were Group I and Group II?
Group I was the set of journals UGC-CARE assessed directly; Group II covered journals that qualified through indexing in Scopus or Web of Science. With the list discontinued, the grouping matters only if your university’s rules still refer to it.
Can you write my paper, or add an author with publications to it?
The paper stays your own work, which you can explain and defend, and authorship goes only to people who contributed to the research, so our team stays off the author list. Our ethics policy sets out how we work.
Is my paper kept confidential?
Yes. Only the reviewer working on your paper sees it; it is used only for your project and is deleted on request after the engagement. We will sign a non-disclosure agreement if you wish.
Talk it through with a specialist for free
Send us where you are and what you need. We’ll reply within one working day with clear advice, a written scope and a fixed quote. No obligation.
Book a free consultation