{"id":45096,"date":"2025-02-24T03:50:14","date_gmt":"2025-02-23T22:20:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=45096"},"modified":"2025-05-06T17:15:18","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T11:45:18","slug":"ugc-care-list-scrapped-new-journal-evaluation-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/ugc-care-list-scrapped-new-journal-evaluation-system\/","title":{"rendered":"UGC-CARE List Scrapped: New Journal Evaluation System &#038; Academic Impact"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>What\u2019s in Today\u2019s Article?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>UGC-CARE list Latest News<\/li>\n<li>UGC-CARE<\/li>\n<li>Reasons for Withdrawing UGC-CARE<\/li>\n<li>Concerns Over Scrapping the CARE List<\/li>\n<li>The New Approach to Journal Evaluation<\/li>\n<li>UGC-CARE List FAQs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>UGC-CARE List Latest News<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>The University Grants Commission (UGC) has decided to discontinue the UGC-CARE (Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics) list of quality academic journals, first introduced in 2018.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Instead, it will provide a set of suggestive parameters for selecting journals based on eight criteria.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>UGC-CARE<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>UGC-CARE was introduced in 2018 to combat the problem of predatory journals, journals that publish research in exchange for publishing fees without checks like peer reviews.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Reason for Setting Up UGC-CARE<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Significance of Research Publications<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Publications in journals play a crucial role in institutional rankings, faculty appointments, promotions, and research grants.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>The quality of research publications directly impacts the credibility and funding of higher education institutions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Rise of Predatory Journals<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Due to the importance of journal publications, substandard and predatory journals proliferated, offering publication for a fee without rigorous peer review.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>This led to concerns about academic integrity and India&#8217;s global research reputation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>UGC\u2019s Concern and Response<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>In 2019, the UGC highlighted the negative impact of publishing in dubious journals, warning of long-term academic damage.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>An investigation by a leading media house, in 2018, revealed over 300 publishers operating predatory journals in India, charging fees between $30 and $1800 for publication.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Establishment of UGC-CARE<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Following these concerns, UGC introduced the Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics (CARE) in 2018 to replace the previous system of university-suggested journals.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Under CARE, a dedicated UGC cell assessed journals based on strict quality protocols.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Reasons for Withdrawing UGC-CARE<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Concerns with the UGC-CARE List<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>The UGC-CARE list was introduced to ensure only reputable journals were considered for faculty selections, promotions, and research funding.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>However, it faced several criticisms, including:\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Over-centralisation<\/strong> in deciding journal quality.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Delays<\/strong> in adding or removing journals.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Limited inclusivity<\/strong>, particularly in fields like Tamil studies.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Lack of transparency<\/strong>, leading to the exclusion of highly respected Indian-language journals.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Shift to a Decentralised Approach<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>The UGC argues that decentralisation will:\n<ul>\n<li>Help combat predatory journals more effectively.<\/li>\n<li>Make institutions responsible for evaluating journals.<\/li>\n<li>Allow flexibility for institutions to develop their own mechanisms aligned with UGC\u2019s suggested parameters.<\/li>\n<li>Ensure evaluation models can adapt to evolving fields and disciplinary needs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Expert Committee Review (2023)<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>The UGC formed an expert committee to review the CARE system. The decision to discontinue it in October 2023 was based on concerns about:\n<ul>\n<li>Over-regulation, as highlighted by NEP 2020, which criticized excessive centralisation.<\/li>\n<li>Lack of transparency, with no clear reasoning for journal inclusions or exclusions.<\/li>\n<li>Inefficiencies, including delays in adding high-quality journals and sudden removals affecting faculty careers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Concerns from Academics<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Experts pointed out that CARE was not exhaustive and created pressure to publish in specific journals.<\/li>\n<li>Academics often receive offers to pay for publications, raising concerns about predatory practices.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Concerns Over Scrapping the CARE List<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Potential Rise of Predatory Journals<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Academics fear that eliminating the CARE list <strong>removes a key safeguard<\/strong> against predatory journals.<\/li>\n<li>Without a central oversight mechanism, <strong>low-quality and exploitative journals may thrive<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Lack of Public Consultation<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Some experts believe the system was <strong>still evolving<\/strong> and could have helped curb predatory publishing.<\/li>\n<li>An academic described the move as <strong>\u201cretrograde\u201d<\/strong>, arguing that there should have been <strong>public consultation<\/strong> before scrapping CARE.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>The New Approach to Journal Evaluation<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Suggestive Parameters for Institutions<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>The UGC has introduced <strong>non-binding \u2018suggestive parameters\u2019<\/strong> to help institutions assess journals.<\/li>\n<li>These parameters include evaluating <strong>the journal\u2019s editorial process, peer review system, and the expertise of its editorial board<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Institutional Responsibility &amp; Accountability<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Institutions are now responsible for developing their own mechanisms to evaluate journals.<\/li>\n<li>Failure to do so could harm their reputation by endorsing faculty publications in <strong>dubious journals<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Decentralisation &amp; Academic Freedom<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>The new approach aims to <strong>promote decentralisation, academic freedom, and institutional accountability<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Faculty and researchers can assess journals <strong>based on discipline-specific criteria<\/strong> rather than relying on a centralised list.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>UGC-CARE List FAQs<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Q1.<\/strong> What does UGC mean?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.<\/strong> UGC (University Grants Commission) is India&#8217;s higher education regulatory body, overseeing universities, academic standards, and research policies.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q2.<\/strong> What is the meaning of UGC-CARE?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans. <\/strong>UGC-CARE (Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics) was a list ensuring quality academic journals to prevent predatory publishing.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q3. <\/strong>What are the objectives of UGC?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.<\/strong> UGC ensures quality education, regulates universities, funds institutions, and promotes research excellence in higher education.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q4.<\/strong> What is the full form of NAAC?<\/p>\n<p><strong>An<\/strong>s. NAAC stands for <i>National Assessment and Accreditation Council<\/i>, which evaluates and accredits higher education institutions in India.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q5<\/strong>. What is the difference between UGC-approved and UGC-CARE list?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.<\/strong> UGC-approved universities meet regulatory standards, while UGC-CARE listed journals ensured quality academic publishing and research credibility.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/education\/ugc-care-list-scrapped-a-move-towards-autonomy-or-a-risky-gamble\/article69210502.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">TH<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/decentralised-approach-ugc-care-journal-listing-system-9832679\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IE<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>UGC discontinues the CARE list, shifting to a decentralised journal evaluation system. Learn the reasons, concerns, and new guidelines for academic publishing<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":45097,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-45096","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45096","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45096"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45096\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45097"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45096"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45096"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45096"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}