UGC CARE List Journals 2026: Search and Cloned Journal Verification Guide
The University Grants Commission (UGC) regularly updates its Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics (CARE) list. Here is how Indian researchers can safely navigate Group 1 and Group 2 journals in 2026.
Understanding UGC CARE Group 1 and Group 2 Journals
The University Grants Commission established the Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics (UGC-CARE) to curb predatory publishing and promote academic integrity across Indian universities. The UGC CARE list is partitioned into two main groups:
Group 1 Journals: Includes journals qualified through UGC-CARE protocols across Indian languages, humanities, sciences, and social sciences. These journals are recommended by university committees and vetted through rigorous peer review checks by nodal centers.
Group 2 Journals: Includes journals indexed in globally recognized citation databases, specifically Web of Science (Core Collection) and Scopus. Any journal indexed in Scopus automatically qualifies under Group 2 standards.
How Cloned Journal Scams Operate in 2026
Cloned journals represent one of the fastest-growing cyber frauds targeting faculty members and doctoral candidates in India. Fraudulent operators acquire expired domain names or create domains nearly identical to authentic UGC CARE titles (e.g., changing .org to .co.in).
They mirror the genuine journal's editorial board names, ISSN numbers, and past issue archives to deceive authors. Authors submit papers expecting legitimate publication, pay ₹5,000 to ₹25,000 in APC fees via personal UPI IDs, and receive fake acceptance certificates.
5 Steps to Verify Any UGC CARE Journal
- Domain Registration Age: Verify domain creation date via WHOIS — cloned sites are often under 1 year old.
- Check Official Nodal Portal: Do not rely on search engine sponsored ad links.
- Verify Payment Beneficiary: Authentic journals do not collect fees via personal UPI IDs or individual bank accounts.
- Inspect Review Timelines: Instant 24-hour peer review acceptance indicates a paper mill.
- Run Automated Audit: Paste the target URL into ScholarVault to check against 18+ forensic checkpoints.
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