UGC CARE Journal Guidelines in 2026: What Actually Applies
Authors searching for UGC CARE journal guidelines in 2026 usually want two things: a way to tell whether a journal is acceptable, and a clear account of how submission works. Both are answerable, but the first needs a correction. UGC discontinued the UGC-CARE list following its 584th meeting on 3 October 2024, said so in a public notice of 11 February 2025, and in July 2025 notified higher education institutions of a replacement: the Suggestive Parameters for Peer-Reviewed Journals. There is no "new UGC CARE list 2026" and no relaunched CARE policy. What exists is a set of criteria, and the guidelines that matter are those criteria plus the circular your own university issued to implement them.
This guide does two jobs. The first half turns UGC's parameters into a practical checklist that you can apply to any journal, including this one. The second half describes the complete submission process at a journal that follows those parameters, using the Journal of Modern and Versatile Research Approach (JMVRA) as the worked example, with the timelines, decisions and fees you should expect at each step.
The UGC Suggested Parameters as an Author Checklist
UGC's annexure groups its parameters into categories covering the journal's basic identity, its editorial board and policy, the quality of what it publishes, its production standards, its ethics, its visibility and its impact. The list below rewrites each category as questions you can answer with a browser tab open. Tick every item you can verify; note every item you cannot. A journal that leaves more than two or three blanks is not necessarily dishonest, but it is asking you to take its word, and the whole point of the parameters is that you no longer have to.
Preliminary criteria
Valid ISSN that matches the website at portal.issn.org. Clear title and scope. Stated frequency and a publisher with a working contact. Access and fee policy visible before submission. Archiving arrangement described.
Editorial board
Named editors with affiliations you can confirm on institutional pages. Expertise that matches the journal's scope. A chief editor who is a real, reachable person.
Editorial policy
Peer review model stated (single-blind, double-blind or open). Typical timeline given. Authorship, correction and retraction rules published. Appeals route described.
Content quality
Recent articles are within scope, properly referenced, structured and readable. No obvious off-scope or machine-generated filler.
Journal standards
Consistent formatting and metadata. Issues published on schedule. Persistent identifiers such as Crossref DOIs that resolve to the journal.
Research ethics
Plagiarism screening policy. Conflict of interest, misconduct and AI-use disclosure rules. Licence stated and compatible with the access model.
Visibility
Articles discoverable in Google Scholar and in any index the journal names. Indexing claims that you can confirm in the database's own source list.
Impact
Any impact figure explained: who calculated it, from what data, for which year. Self-citation that looks normal when you skim reference lists.
A self-scoring sheet you can copy
Committees respond well to a one-page sheet. The layout below is illustrative; the numbers are a suggestion for weighting, not a UGC scale. Score each category from 0 (nothing verifiable) to the maximum shown, and attach your screenshots as evidence.
| Category | Max points (illustrative) | Evidence to attach |
|---|---|---|
| Preliminary criteria | 15 | ISSN Portal record, publisher contact page, fee page |
| Editorial board | 15 | Two editors' institutional pages |
| Editorial policy | 15 | Peer review policy page with model and timeline |
| Content quality | 15 | Two recent articles with a short note on scope and rigour |
| Journal standards | 10 | Three resolved DOIs, issue archive screenshot |
| Research ethics | 10 | Ethics, plagiarism and licence pages |
| Visibility | 10 | Google Scholar result for a recent article; database record if claimed |
| Impact | 10 | Journal's own explanation of any impact figure |
| Total | 100 | One PDF, dated, kept with your submission records |
What a Journal Must Publish to Meet the Guidelines
The parameters are written for readers, but they imply a set of obligations for editors. If you run a journal, or are deciding whether to trust one, the comparison below shows what satisfying the guidelines looks like in practice and what quietly fails them. JMVRA keeps its own evidence for each row on its UGC CARE discontinued page, so that an author can verify rather than trust.
Meets the guidelines
- ISSN printed on every page and matching the ISSN Portal record
- Editorial board with full names, institutions and countries
- Peer review policy naming the model and the usual time to first decision
- Publication fee stated in full before submission, due only after acceptance
- Licence named (for example CC BY 4.0) and copyright position explained
- Crossref DOIs that resolve to the article landing page
- Plagiarism screening and ethics policy published
- Issue archive complete and on schedule
Fails the guidelines
- "ISSN applied for" months after launch, or an ISSN that belongs to a different title
- Board listed by surname only, or members who have never heard of the journal
- "Peer reviewed" with no description of how
- Fees that appear by email after acceptance, or payment requested before review
- Database logos with no record in the database's own source list
- DOIs that do not resolve, or that resolve to another publisher
- Guaranteed acceptance, or decisions promised within 24 hours
- Gaps of several months in the archive with no explanation
Before You Submit: Preparing a Manuscript That Passes Screening
Most delays in the submission process happen before the paper reaches a reviewer. Desk screening rejects or returns manuscripts for reasons that have nothing to do with the research: wrong file type, missing declarations, a similarity report nobody ran, references in three different styles. The checklist below is what an editorial office actually looks for in the first ten minutes.
- File and format: an editable .DOC or .DOCX file laid out on the journal's author template, in English unless the journal states otherwise.
- Structure: title, authors with affiliations and one corresponding email, abstract of roughly 150 to 300 words, keywords, introduction, methods, results, discussion, conclusion, references.
- Similarity: a similarity report run before submission. Many Indian institutions and journals treat a similarity index above about 10 to 15 percent (excluding references) as a problem; check the journal's stated limit.
- Declarations: originality, no simultaneous submission elsewhere, authorship contributions, funding and conflict of interest statements, ethics approval where human or animal subjects are involved, and disclosure of any AI tools used in writing.
- References: one style throughout, every in-text citation present in the list and vice versa, DOIs included where they exist.
- Figures and tables: numbered, captioned, legible at print size, with permission noted for any reused material.
- Author details: ORCID iDs if you have them, complete postal and institutional affiliations, and agreement from every co-author.
The Complete Submission Process in Nine Steps
The sequence below is the route a manuscript takes at JMVRA, and it is close to the route at any journal that follows UGC's parameters. The order matters more than the names of the steps. In particular, payment sits after acceptance, review sits before any decision, and nothing is published until the author has signed an undertaking. A journal that rearranges this order has changed what you are buying.
- 1. PrepareTemplate, similarity report, declarations, co-author approval.
- 2. SubmitUpload through the journal's own portal; receive a registration ID by email.
- 3. ScreenEditorial office checks scope, completeness, format and similarity.
- 4. ReviewTwo or more subject reviewers assess originality, method, clarity and ethics.
- 5. DecideEditor issues accept, minor revision, major revision or reject.
- 6. ReviseRespond point by point; resubmit within the stated window.
Steps seven to nine in detail
Pay after acceptance. Only once the decision letter says "accepted" does the publication charge become due. At JMVRA that charge is 971 rupees for Indian authors and US$41 for international authors, paid through the options listed on the payment options page; the amount is published before you submit and never changes by email. Sign the undertaking. The corresponding author returns the signed author declaration confirming originality, authorship and agreement to the CC BY 4.0 licence. Publication. The paper is typeset, assigned a unique paper ID, placed in the current monthly issue, and each author receives a softcopy certificate; a Crossref DOI under the prefix 10.56975 can be added as an option priced on the publication charges page.
Realistic Timelines: How Long Each Stage Takes
Authors ask "how long does peer review take?" more than any other question, and honest journals answer with ranges rather than promises. The durations below are typical ranges for a monthly multidisciplinary journal that runs genuine double-blind review; they are not guarantees, and a complex manuscript or a slow reviewer can extend them. What should worry you is not a journal that takes four weeks but a journal that promises four hours.
- Day 0
Submission received; automatic acknowledgement with registration ID. Keep this email, it is your tracking key.
- Days 1 to 7
Desk screening. Out-of-scope, incomplete or high-similarity submissions are returned now, with a reason, so that no reviewer time is wasted.
- Weeks 1 to 4
Peer review. Reviewers are invited, reminded and replaced if they do not respond. A first decision at a monthly journal typically falls within this window; a second round can add one to three weeks.
- Weeks 3 to 6
Decision and revision. Minor revisions are usually due within one to two weeks; major revisions may be given longer. A clear point-by-point response speeds the second look.
- After acceptance
Payment, undertaking and proof reading typically take a few days on the author's side. Publication follows in the current or next monthly issue.
- After publication
Google Scholar usually picks up a correctly tagged article within days to a few weeks; a Crossref DOI resolves as soon as it is registered.
Reading the Decision Letter and Handling Revisions
Four outcomes are possible, and each asks something different from you. Treat revision requests as the normal path to publication rather than as a setback; at serious journals, a paper that is published without any revision is the exception.
Accept
Rare on a first submission. Proceed to payment and the undertaking; check the proof carefully, because this is your last chance to correct typographical errors.
Minor revision
The reviewers are satisfied with the substance and want clarifications, added references, corrected figures or tighter writing. Respond to every comment, even the ones you disagree with, and resubmit on time.
Major revision
Something structural needs work: an additional analysis, a reframed argument, a missing comparison. The editor still sees a publishable paper, otherwise the letter would be a rejection. Budget real time for it.
Reject
Out of scope, insufficient novelty, or methods that cannot support the claims. Read the reasons, fix what can be fixed, and submit elsewhere; never resubmit the identical file to the same journal.
How to write the response to reviewers
- Number every reviewer comment and answer it directly beneath, quoting the change you made and where it sits in the manuscript.
- Where you disagree, say so politely with evidence; editors respect a reasoned refusal more than silent omission.
- Upload a tracked-changes file and a clean file if the journal asks for both.
- Keep the registration ID in the subject line of every message.
- Meet the deadline, or ask for an extension before it passes.
Our companion guide on responding to peer review comments includes templates for each decision type.
Fees, Payment Timing and What the Charge Covers
UGC's preliminary criteria ask that a journal's access and fee policy be visible before submission. The table below is JMVRA's fee position in that spirit. The figures are the same ones printed on the publication charges page; if the two ever differ, the charges page is authoritative. Optional add-ons such as a Crossref DOI, printed certificates and hard copies are priced separately on that page and are never required for publication.
| Item | Indian authors | International authors | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Publication charge for one accepted paper | Rs 971 | US$41 | After the acceptance letter, before typesetting |
| Submission or review fee | None | None | Not applicable |
| Crossref DOI (optional) | Priced separately on the publication charges page | With the publication charge, if chosen | |
| Printed certificate or hard copy (optional) | Priced separately on the publication charges page | With the publication charge, if chosen | |
What the base charge includes at JMVRA
- Online publication of the complete paper in the monthly issue under a CC BY 4.0 licence
- A softcopy certificate of publication for each author and a confirmation letter
- Typesetting to the journal template and a unique paper ID
- Listing in the JMVRA digital library with article metadata exposed for discovery services
- A citation generator on the article page and permanent availability in the archive
Fee timing is a quality signal in itself. A journal that reviews first and charges later is betting its own time on your paper; a journal that charges first has nothing to lose by accepting everything.
After Publication: Making the Paper Count
Publication is where the guidelines stop and your own work starts. The parameters on visibility and impact are about what happens to the article once it is online, and a few simple actions decide whether it is found and cited.
- Download and file the certificate, the published PDF and the DOI landing page; committees ask for all three.
- Add the article to your ORCID record and Google Scholar profile so that citations are tracked to you.
- Deposit the published version in your institutional repository or an open repository such as OpenRGATE (openrgate.org), which keeps it findable if the journal site is ever unavailable.
- Share the DOI link, not a PDF attachment, on academic networks; the DOI carries the metadata that discovery services read.
- Keep your verification evidence from before submission together with the publication records; the same folder answers any future question about where and why you published.
Common Mistakes That Delay or Derail a Submission
Editors see the same errors every month. None of them concern the quality of the research, and all of them are avoidable in an afternoon.
- Submitting the same manuscript to two journals at once "to save time"; this is duplicate submission and leads to rejection at both.
- Sending a PDF when the journal asks for an editable file, which stalls typesetting and review annotations.
- Leaving author names and affiliations in a file destined for double-blind review, or omitting them from the metadata form.
- Ignoring the similarity report until the editor raises it, then losing two weeks to rewriting.
- Paying before acceptance because an email asked for it; no journal aligned with UGC's parameters does this.
- Treating "major revision" as rejection and withdrawing a paper that was one round from acceptance.
- Submitting through a link in an unsolicited invitation rather than through the journal's own domain, which is how clones collect manuscripts.
- Forgetting to tell co-authors, who then object to the licence or the author order after publication.
Where to Submit: Journals in Our Network
Having applied the checklist, you need somewhere to send the paper. The three journals below belong to the same publishing network, share the Crossref DOI prefix 10.56975 and follow the nine-step process described above. JMVRA, established in June 2023, is monthly, multidisciplinary and open access, publishes under CC BY 4.0, and is aligned with UGC's Suggested Parameters for Choosing Peer-Reviewed Journals; its evidence for each parameter is on the UGC CARE discontinued page. Its impact figure of 11.25 is a calculated metric based on citations from Google Scholar and Semantic Scholar and is not an official Clarivate Journal Impact Factor (JCR).
Journal of Modern and Versatile Research Approach (JMVRA)
- ISSN 2984-8911 Verify ISSN
- ESTD 2023 · Publisher JMVRA Publication · Website jmvra.org
- Impact Factor 11.25* · Crossref DOI prefix 10.56975
- Publication fee ₹971 Indian authors · US$41 international — payable only after acceptance
- Aligned with UGC’s Suggested Parameters for Choosing Peer-Reviewed Journals
TIJER – International Research Journal
- ISSN 2349-9249 Verify ISSN · ESTD 2014 · Website tijer.org
- Publication fee Low cost ₹970 INR Indian · $50 USD international
- UGC CARE Approved, Transparent Peer-Reviewed (Refereed) Journal as per new UGC Notification
- Multidisciplinary · Monthly · Crossref DOI · Indexing in all major databases & metadata
Journal of Novel Research and Innovative Development (JNRID)
- ISSN 2984-8687 Verify ISSN · ESTD 2023 · Website jnrid.org
- Publication fee Low cost ₹970 INR Indian · $50 USD international
- UGC CARE Approved, Transparent Peer-Reviewed (Refereed) Journal as per new UGC Notification
- Multidisciplinary · Monthly · Crossref DOI · Indexing in all major databases & metadata
* JMVRA’s 11.25 is a calculated metric based on citations from Google Scholar and Semantic Scholar. It is not an official Clarivate Journal Impact Factor (JCR). TIJER and JNRID details are as stated by their publisher. Full comparison: Our Journals.
Whichever journal you choose, submit through its own website, keep your registration ID, and expect to hear from the editorial office within the screening window above. Questions before submission can go to [email protected] or WhatsApp +91 91063 65667.
Glossary of Submission Terms
| Term | Meaning in practice |
|---|---|
| Suggestive Parameters | UGC's July 2025 criteria for choosing peer-reviewed journals; the live replacement for the CARE list. |
| Desk screening | The editor's first check for scope, format, completeness and similarity, before review. |
| Double-blind review | Neither authors nor reviewers know each other's identity during review. |
| Registration ID | The reference number issued at submission, used to track status and in all correspondence. |
| Similarity index | The percentage of a manuscript's text that matches other sources in a similarity-detection database. |
| Undertaking | The signed author declaration of originality, authorship and licence agreement required before publication. |
| APC | Article processing charge; at JMVRA this is the publication charge due after acceptance. |
| CC BY 4.0 | A Creative Commons licence allowing reuse with attribution; the author keeps copyright. |
| Crossref DOI | A persistent identifier registered with Crossref that resolves to the article and carries its metadata. |
| Galley proof | The typeset version sent to the author for final correction before publication. |
Conclusion: Guidelines You Can Verify, a Process You Can Predict
The phrase UGC CARE journal guidelines now points to UGC's Suggestive Parameters, and the right response is not to search for a list but to verify a journal against the parameters and keep the evidence. Done in the order given here, that takes about twenty minutes per journal. The submission process that follows is predictable at any journal that respects those parameters: prepare, submit, screen, review, decide, revise, pay after acceptance, sign, publish. If a journal departs from that order, it has told you something important. If it keeps to it, you know what to expect at every step, and you can submit your paper to JMVRA with that expectation.
How Journey & Wisdom Helps
JMVRA is published within the Journey & Wisdom group, which runs four shared services — similarity checking, journal management, DOI registration and conference management — and thirteen publication platforms. These are the ones that matter most for this guide. For anything not listed here, email [email protected] or message WhatsApp +91 91063 65667 to discuss your requirement.
JWJMS
Journal management systemRuns the editorial workflow: online submission portal, author dashboard, desk screening, reviewer invitations and reminders, revision rounds, decisions, issue building and publication scheduling — with a full record of every step.
jwjms.org
JWSCAN
Plagiarism & similarity checkChecks a manuscript for similarity before submission with iThenticate (by Turnitin) and returns an overall similarity index with a source-by-source report editors can act on.
jwscan.org
JWDOI
Crossref DOI registrationRegisters Crossref DOIs and deposits article metadata, and gives journals a sponsored DOI prefix without joining Crossref directly — for journals, books, chapters and proceedings.
jwdoi.org
Scholar Research Publication Network
Scholar networkA researcher-centred network connecting an author's publications, profile and citations.
scholarrpn.orgSee every Journey & Wisdom product and platform · JW ecosystem map
How to submit a paper to a UGC-parameter-aligned journal: step by step
Read your institution's circular on UGC's parameters
Note any extra requirement, such as a database or a committee approval, before choosing a journal.
Score the journal against the eight parameter categories
Use the checklist and the self-scoring sheet above, and save dated screenshots as evidence.
Prepare the manuscript on the journal's template
Editable .DOCX, complete structure, one reference style, figures captioned, co-authors in agreement.
Run a similarity check and fix the report
Rewrite poorly paraphrased passages and cite quotations; keep the report in your submission file.
Complete the declarations
Originality, no simultaneous submission, authorship, funding, conflicts, ethics approval and AI disclosure.
Submit through the journal's own portal
Enter metadata carefully; the acknowledgement email carries your registration ID.
Wait for screening and review
Expect desk screening within about a week and a first decision typically within one to four weeks; query politely only after the stated window.
Respond to the decision
For revisions, answer every comment point by point and resubmit on time; for rejection, revise and submit elsewhere.
Pay only after the acceptance letter
Use the payment options listed on the journal site; at JMVRA the charge is Rs 971 for Indian authors or US$41 for international authors.
Sign the undertaking, check the proof and publish
Then file the certificate, PDF and DOI, and add the article to ORCID and Google Scholar.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the UGC CARE journal guidelines for 2026?
There is no UGC CARE list for 2026. The guidelines that apply are UGC's Suggestive Parameters for Peer-Reviewed Journals, notified to institutions in July 2025 after the CARE listing was discontinued. They cover a journal's basic identity, editorial board and policy, content quality, production standards, ethics, visibility and impact, and institutions apply them through their own circulars and committees.
How do I submit a paper to a journal that follows UGC's guidelines?
Prepare an editable manuscript on the journal's template with a similarity report and declarations, submit through the journal's own online portal, and keep the registration ID from the acknowledgement. The editorial office screens the paper, sends it to peer review, and issues a decision. After acceptance you pay the publication charge, sign an author undertaking, check the proof and the paper is published.
How long does the peer review process take?
At a monthly journal running genuine double-blind review, desk screening typically takes up to a week and a first decision usually arrives within one to four weeks, with a second round adding one to three weeks if revisions are needed. These are ranges, not promises. A journal that guarantees a decision within a day or two is not reviewing.
When is the publication fee paid?
Only after the acceptance letter, never at submission and never as a condition of review. At JMVRA the charge is 971 rupees for Indian authors and US$41 for international authors, printed on the publication charges page before you submit. Optional add-ons such as a Crossref DOI or printed certificate are priced separately and are not required for publication.
What file format should I submit?
An editable .DOC or .DOCX file laid out on the journal's author template, in English unless the journal states otherwise. PDFs cannot be typeset or annotated by reviewers and are usually returned. Keep figures legible at print size and include captions, and supply a separate title page if the journal uses double-blind review.
How do I track my submitted paper?
Use the registration ID from your acknowledgement email. At JMVRA the author login accepts the registration ID together with either the private key or the registered email, and shows the current stage. Quote the ID in every message to the editorial office, and wait until the stated screening or review window has passed before sending a status query.
What is the difference between minor and major revision?
Minor revision means the reviewers accept the substance and want clarifications, added references or corrected figures, usually due within one to two weeks. Major revision means something structural needs work, such as an additional analysis or a reframed argument, and the editor still sees a publishable paper. Both are normal routes to acceptance; neither is a rejection.
What similarity percentage is acceptable?
Limits vary by journal and institution. Many Indian journals and universities treat an overall similarity index above roughly 10 to 15 percent, excluding references and standard phrases, as requiring revision. Check the journal's stated limit, run the check yourself before submission with a tool such as JWSCAN, and rewrite or cite any flagged passages rather than hoping they go unnoticed.
Is a guaranteed fast acceptance a good sign?
No. It is the clearest warning sign in journal publishing. UGC's parameters ask for a described review process with realistic timelines because review is what gives a publication its value. A journal that promises acceptance in 24 or 48 hours has removed that step, and a paper published there will not satisfy a committee applying the parameters.
Do I need to be on the old UGC CARE list to publish for my PhD?
The list is discontinued and cannot be joined, so no journal can newly satisfy that requirement. Most universities now ask for journals that meet UGC's parameters, sometimes with an added database requirement. Ask your research cell for the current written rule, then choose a journal whose evidence you can show against each parameter category.
What is the author undertaking form?
A signed declaration, returned by the corresponding author after acceptance, confirming that the work is original, that all listed authors contributed and agree to publication, that it is not under consideration elsewhere, and that the authors accept the journal's licence, which at JMVRA is CC BY 4.0. Publication does not proceed until it is received.
Does JMVRA follow UGC's guidelines?
JMVRA is aligned with UGC's Suggested Parameters for Choosing Peer-Reviewed Journals and documents each parameter on its UGC CARE discontinued page: ISSN 2984-8911 verifiable on the ISSN Portal, a named editorial board, published double-blind peer review, plagiarism screening, CC BY 4.0 licensing, Crossref DOIs and fees payable only after acceptance. Apply this guide's checklist to it before you submit.
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Publish Your Research in JMVRA
Peer-reviewed, open access (CC BY 4.0), monthly and multidisciplinary · ISSN 2984-8911 · ₹971 for Indian authors and US$41 for international authors, payable only after acceptance.