
When authors search for a “UGC approved international journal with a ₹1400 fee”, they are bundling two concerns: recognition and affordability. The trouble is that the first no longer carries its old meaning. UGC does not at present maintain an approved list, so at no price can a journal be “UGC approved” in that sense. This is the actual situation in 2026, along with advice on judging offers that use the phrase. Treat any claim of current approval as something to verify rather than accept.
The Facts in 2026
- The UGC-Approved List of Journals was in use from 2017 until UGC-CARE took its place in 2019.
- The CARE listing was wound up by UGC, which resolved this in October 2024, publicised it in a public notice dated February 2025, and reaffirmed it later in 2025.
- UGC now directs institutions to its suggested parameters for choosing peer-reviewed journals.
- Therefore no journal can appear on a current UGC approved list, because no such list exists.
The Price Tells You Nothing About Recognition
Whether the fee is ₹1400, ₹500 or ₹15,000, it gives no indication of whether your institution will accept a journal. Recognition is earned through real review, transparency and, where it is required, indexing — the points that UGC’s parameters cover.
How to Assess Such an Offer
- Find out what “UGC approved” is supposed to mean. A past listing? Alignment with parameters? Or only marketing?
- Read your institution’s rule. It settles whether the journal counts for you.
- Verify the journal itself. ISSN, review, DOIs, fees and archive.
- Compare the true costs. Add in taxes and extras.
What a Trustworthy Journal Tells You
A trustworthy journal states its standing accurately — for instance that it is peer reviewed, where it is indexed, and that it aligns with UGC’s suggested parameters — instead of asserting a current approval that cannot exist. Read our guide to the CARE list’s current status.
What UGC’s Parameters Examine
- Journal identity: title, ISSN, publisher, contact
- Peer review policy and practice
- Editorial board with verifiable members
- Transparent fees and open-access policy
- Publication ethics and plagiarism checks
- Archiving and identifiers such as DOIs
Timeline: From the UGC Approved List to Parameters
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| 2017 | UGC-Approved List of Journals introduced |
| May 2018 | Large-scale re-evaluation removes many journals |
| 2019 | UGC-CARE replaces the approved list |
| 3 Oct 2024 | UGC decides to discontinue CARE listing |
| Feb 2025 | Public notice; final archived list published |
| 2025 onward | Suggested parameters for choosing peer-reviewed journals |
The 10 Most-Searched Questions on This Topic
Here are the ten questions researchers search for most on this subject, each with a direct answer.
UGC approved international journal publication fee 1400
There is no current UGC approved list; assess the journal on evidence and its overall cost.
UGC approved journal 2026
UGC has stopped its lists, and institutions now measure journals against UGC’s suggested parameters.
UGC CARE discontinued date
The 584th Commission meeting took the decision in October 2024, and it was made public in February 2025.
UGC suggested parameters
UGC’s guidance describing what credible peer-reviewed journals look like.
UGC approved journal list pdf
Earlier lists are kept as archives and do not approve journals for new publications.
journal fee 1400 India
Weigh up the overall cost, GST and DOI included, among genuine journals.
is UGC approval required for API
Go by your institution’s present rules, which rest on evidence instead of a list.
UGC approved journal scam
Be careful to verify any offer that claims current UGC approval in return for a fee.
UGC recognised journal meaning
Typically a journal that satisfies an institution’s criteria; no UGC list exists.
how to check UGC status of journal
Consult UGC’s public notice and your institution’s present rule.
How JMVRA Fits In
JMVRA is a Transparent, Peer-Reviewed, Open Access Journal (Refereed Journal). Following the discontinuation of the UGC and UGC-CARE journal listing, and in alignment with the latest UGC-CARE recommendations and guidelines, JMVRA is aligned with UGC’s Suggested Parameters for Choosing Peer-Reviewed Journals. UGC public notice (PDF)
JMVRA is a Transparent, Peer-Reviewed, Open Access Journal (Refereed Journal) aligned with UGC’s Suggested Parameters for Choosing Peer-Reviewed Journals, with a published fee of ₹971 INR charged only after acceptance.
- ISSN
- 2984-8911 (online) · publishing since June 2023
- Issues
- Monthly issues across many disciplines
- Review
- Two-way anonymous review by specialists
- Access
- Available as open access (CC BY 4.0)
- Fee
- ₹971 INR for Indian and $41 USD for foreign authors, due only after acceptance
- DOI
- Crossref — available as an optional extra
- Indexing
- Google Scholar only; not Scopus, Web of Science or DOAJ
- Impact factor
- 11.25, derived from Google Scholar data
Screening begins the moment a paper arrives and each decision is sent as soon as it is reached, yet JMVRA never promises a set number of days: actual review time depends on the reviewers and on how much revision the paper needs.
At-a-Glance Checklist
- Offer judgedNot by price
- UGC wording checkedNo current approved list
- Parameters appliedTo the journal
- Institution askedIn writing
- Payment after acceptanceOnly
Using UGC’s Parameters on Any Journal
- Identity — title, ISSN, publisher and contact information
- Peer review — a policy, plus proof it is actually followed
- Editorial board — genuine, qualified members
- Ethics and transparency — rules on plagiarism, corrections, fees and archiving
- Indexing claims — which can be confirmed in the databases
Maintaining a Recognition File
Refer to UGC’s suggested parameters and UGC’s recommendation points.
Handling Low-Fee Recognition Offers From Journals Wisely
Messages that pair a very small fee with a bold recognition claim reach most researchers sooner or later. These habits help you respond calmly, protect your work and avoid paying for a promise you cannot verify.
- Pause before replying to offers. Unsolicited emails and chat messages create urgency on purpose. Take a day before answering, read the message again, and discuss it with your supervisor or a senior colleague before sharing any manuscript.
- Ask for written fee details. Request a clear written statement of what the charge covers, when it is payable and whether any extra charges apply later. Honest journals answer plainly and do not change the terms after acceptance.
- Check claims at the source. If a journal names an authority or a list, look for the original notice on that authority's own website rather than trusting the journal's banner, screenshot or certificate image.
- Read a recent issue closely. Download a few published articles and judge them for language quality, method clarity and subject fit. Weak, copied or off-topic papers suggest the journal does not review seriously.
- Keep every message you receive. Save emails, invoices and screenshots in a folder for that submission. If a dispute arises about withdrawal, refunds or copyright, a tidy record makes your case much easier to present.
Never let a small fee or confident wording replace your own verification; check the journal independently before you send a manuscript or a payment.
Questions Researchers Often Ask
How JMVRA Measures Up to UGC’s 35 Suggested Parameters
Annexure-I of the final UGC notice dated 16 July 2025 sets out 35 parameters in 8 categories, compared with 36 in the February 2025 draft. In its own review JMVRA marks 28 as met, 2 as partly met, 3 as not published and 2 as not applicable, with the reasoning stated each time.
Source: UGC public notice on CARE journals (PDF) · the whole assessment is set out under JMVRA & UGC parameters.
Ready to Publish? Submit to JMVRA
JMVRA is aligned with UGC's Suggested Parameters for Choosing Peer-Reviewed Journals.
JMVRA is a Transparent, Peer-Reviewed, Open Access Journal (Refereed Journal). Following the discontinuation of the UGC and UGC-CARE journal listing, and in alignment with the latest UGC-CARE recommendations and guidelines, JMVRA is aligned with UGC’s Suggested Parameters for Choosing Peer-Reviewed Journals.
Further reading on jmvra.org
Key Terms
Subjects and search phrases this article addresses.
Related Reading
Further reading on the same theme from the JMVRA blog.
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Read the guide RelatedUGC’s Suggested Parameters for Choosing Peer-Reviewed Journals
Read the guide RelatedLow-Cost Journals in India: Checking UGC Claims
Read the guideKeep Reading on the JMVRA Blog
This article sits on the JMVRA journal blog, where practical guidance covering publishing, indexing, metrics and research integrity is written to be verifiable, not promotional.
