BALANCING CONTROL AND AUTONOMY: A THREE-TIERED POLICY FRAMEWORK FOR STRENGTHENING ACADEMIC PUBLISHING IN INDIA

The University Grants Commission (UGC) in India has taken commendable steps to maintain academic publishing standards by implementing the UGC-CARE (Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics) List. This initiative expected to compact predatory publishing and enhance the global recognition of Indian research output. While the UGC-CARE List has succeeded to a large extent in filtering out substandard journals and guiding researchers toward reputable publications, several operational shortcomings persist. These include lack of transparency in the selection and removal processes, limited resubmission opportunities, centralized control, and frequent list updates that sometimes affect the credibility of journals. Recently, UGC has proposed discontinuing the CARE List in favor of a new system comprising peer-reviewed journals meeting certain criteria, possibly published directly by UGC. This paper argues for the continued relevance of the UGC-CARE List, suggesting improvements in its implementation and transparency. It also proposes a three-tiered journal classification system: (1) UGC-CARE List I, (2) UGC-CARE List II (internationally indexed journals), and (3) a decentralized, university-level journal list. Such a model would ensure both national standardization and local academic autonomy, fostering inclusivity and enhancing the quality of research publications in India. The paper concludes by advocating for a more transparent, user-friendly, and independent indexing system similar to international standards