Mon Feb 24 03:00:00 UTC 2025: ## UGC Scraps Centralized Journal List, Shifting to Decentralized Evaluation

**New Delhi, February 24, 2025** – The University Grants Commission (UGC) has announced the discontinuation of its Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics (UGC-CARE) list of approved academic journals, a move that has sparked both support and controversy. The list, introduced in 2018, aimed to identify reputable journals for faculty evaluations, promotions, and research funding.

The UGC will replace the centralized list with a set of eight criteria and 36 suggestive parameters for evaluating journals. These parameters cover aspects such as journal title, editorial board composition, editorial policies, and research ethics. Higher education institutions (HEIs) will now be responsible for developing their own journal evaluation mechanisms based on these guidelines.

UGC Chairman M Jagadesh Kumar stated that the previous system faced criticism for over-centralization, delays, and a lack of transparency. He noted that the UGC-CARE list had excluded respected journals published in Indian languages, particularly impacting fields like Tamil. The new decentralized approach, the UGC claims, will combat predatory journals and allow HEIs to tailor evaluations to their specific disciplinary needs.

However, the decision has drawn criticism from student groups like the Students’ Federation of India (SFI). The SFI expressed concerns that the lack of central oversight could lead to inconsistencies in journal evaluations and a proliferation of low-quality publications. They argued that the move, part of a broader trend under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, undermines academic integrity. The UGC has invited stakeholder suggestions on the new parameters until February 25th.

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