UGC Overhauls Academic Publishing: CARE List Discontinued, Empowering Institutions in Journal Evaluation

New Delhi - In a landmark decision announced during its 584th meeting on October 3, 2024, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has officially discontinued the Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics (UGC-CARE) list of journals. This move signifies a shift towards a decentralized evaluation system for academic journals, putting the onus on Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) to assess research publication quality independently.

Background on UGC-CARE:

The UGC-CARE list was established in 2018 to combat the growing issue of predatory journals and to provide a curated list of reputable journals for Indian academics. It included journals from various disciplines, both from India and abroad, selected through a rigorous evaluation process. However, this centralized system faced criticism for its perceived lack of transparency, slow updating process, and sometimes arbitrary inclusion or exclusion of journals.

The New Framework:

With the dissolution of the CARE list, the UGC has introduced a set of guidelines to help HEIs establish their own journal evaluation systems. These guidelines focus on:

• Ethical Standards: Ensuring journals adhere to high ethical standards, including transparency in peer review, conflict of interest declarations, and clear editorial policies.
• Editorial Quality: Journals should have an editorial board composed of recognized experts in the field, enhancing the credibility of published work.
• Publication Metrics: While not advocating for an over-reliance on impact factors, the UGC recommends considering journals' citation metrics, indexing in recognized databases, and overall academic impact.
• Access and Visibility: Preference is given to journals that support open access, thereby increasing the global visibility and accessibility of research.
• Frequency and Regularity: Journals should maintain a consistent publication schedule, ensuring timely dissemination of research findings.

Implementation and Institutional Responsibility:

The UGC has urged HEIs to form committees or leverage existing academic councils to develop these evaluation criteria. Institutions are encouraged to tailor these guidelines to their specific academic needs, fostering a more nuanced understanding of quality in research publications. 

• Feedback Mechanism: The UGC has opened a feedback window until February 25, 2025, for stakeholders to contribute to refining these guidelines, signaling a collaborative approach to policy-making.
• Capacity Building: Workshops, seminars, and online resources are being planned to assist HEIs in transitioning to this new model, focusing on training faculty in ethical publishing practices and journal evaluation.

Challenges and Criticisms:

While the move is seen as a step towards greater academic freedom, there are significant challenges:

• Uniformity: There's a concern about the potential lack of uniformity across institutions which could lead to disparities in research quality and recognition.
• Predatory Journals: Without a centralized list, there's apprehension about an increase in the influence of predatory journals that might exploit this new system's flexibility.
• Resource Constraints: Smaller or less resourced institutions might struggle to implement sophisticated journal evaluation systems.

Academic Community's Response:

The academic community has shown a mixed reaction. Some scholars applaud the autonomy, believing it will lead to more relevant and contextually appropriate publication choices. Others are skeptical, fearing a possible decline in research standards without UGC's oversight. Organizations like the Indian Academy of Sciences have called for a balanced approach where autonomy does not compromise quality.

Looking Ahead:

The UGC has committed to regularly reviewing the impact of this policy shift, with an emphasis on ensuring that the quality of academic research does not suffer. The commission plans to introduce a monitoring framework to assess how well institutions are adapting to their new roles. Moreover, they are considering the development of a national repository or database for journals that meet high standards but are not part of global indexing services, thus supporting indigenous research.

This policy change by UGC is a bold step towards decentralizing academic governance in India, aiming to foster an environment where academic freedom and responsibility go hand in hand with maintaining or enhancing the integrity of scholarly work.