UGC CARE Journals in 2026: What the Discontinued List Means

What changed in 2025

UGC’s notice of 16 July 2025 confirms the discontinuation announced on 11 February 2025. The archived list contains 1,474 journals as at 10 February 2025 and serves as a reference resource. Inclusion or exclusion does not imply UGC validation or endorsement. Read the dated UGC notice.

Check the journal and the applicable institutional rule

Record the exact title, print and online ISSNs, publisher and website. Compare these identifiers with the publisher’s own records. A similar journal name or copied seal is insufficient. Then obtain the current written publication or appraisal rule from your institution. An archived listing, a present database record and an institution’s eligibility decision answer different questions.

Review transparent fees, review policy, editorial responsibility, archiving and discipline fit. UGC now supplies suggestive parameters for choosing peer-reviewed journals; institutional committees may adapt them. This guide does not assign universal PBAS points or decide whether a particular publication qualifies.

Worked example: historical status is not current approval

Illustrative example: a publisher says “UGC CARE approved in 2026.” You find its exact title in the February 2025 archive. Record the historical match and archive date. Leave current approval unconfirmed: the archive cannot support that claim. Ask the publisher to correct its wording and ask your institution which current rule applies. Do not label the journal fraudulent merely because a legacy claim needs clarification.

Prepare a record for institutional review

Attach the journal identifiers, the applicable rule and its version, the publication date, the archive or database evidence and any unresolved questions. Keep acceptance letters and payment receipts separate from publication evidence. If you are assembling an appraisal portfolio, continue with the PBAS evidence portfolio guide.