Faculty members and research scholars in India tend to ask two things together: whether their institution will accept a journal, and whether they can pay for it. UGC has stopped maintaining its approved and CARE lists, so the answer to the first now rests on evidence instead of a list, and the fee does not affect it. What follows explains how institutions currently assess journals and how to treat the two concerns separately. Writing down your institution’s requirements before you choose a journal saves a lot of rework later.
How Institutions Assess Journals Today
- Proof of peer review. A documented review procedure and an editorial board.
- Identity and openness. ISSN, publisher, contact details, fees and policies.
- Indexing, if needed. Scopus or Web of Science for certain purposes.
- UGC’s suggested parameters. Many IQACs treat them as a reference checklist.
- Institutional lists or committees. A few institutions issue their own guidance.
Treat Fee and Recognition as Separate Matters
| Question | Evidence that answers it |
|---|---|
| Will it be recognised? | Your institution’s rule; the journal’s review, identity and indexing |
| Can I afford it? | Total fee including taxes and add-ons; waivers |
| Is it good value? | What the fee includes; permanence; DOI |
Putting Together an API/CAS File
- Acceptance letter and published article
- DOI or permanent link
- ISSN record screenshot
- Evidence of peer review (reviewer comments)
- The rule or committee decision you relied on
Practical Advice
- Before submitting, ask your IQAC how journals are currently evaluated
- Collect the evidence when the paper is published, not years afterwards
- Do not trust a journal’s own “UGC approved” badges
- Plan your budget around the total fee, not the advertised figure
How JMVRA Presents Itself
JMVRA works from UGC’s own framework. It calls itself a transparent, peer-reviewed, open-access journal aligned with UGC’s suggested parameters, and it sets out a point-by-point comparison on the JMVRA & UGC CARE page.
What to Ask Your IQAC
- Which criteria govern journal publications this year? Request the document in writing.
- Do I need particular indexes for my purpose? Requirements for API, CAS, PhD supervision or awards can vary.
- How are CARE publications from before 2025 handled? Helpful if you have older papers.
- Which evidence must I provide? That way you gather it when the paper appears.
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 low publication fee
No UGC list currently exists; recognition rests on evidence, and the fee plays no part.
how institutions evaluate journals India 2026
By looking at peer review evidence, transparency, indexing where it is required, and UGC’s parameters.
UGC suggested parameters IQAC
A good number of IQACs use UGC’s parameters as their checklist.
API score journal evidence
Proof of acceptance, the published article, DOI, ISSN and review.
CAS promotion publications
Go by your institution’s present rules on which journals are acceptable.
low publication fee 1400
Compare the overall cost; the fee has no effect on recognition.
journal recognition India
Determined by institutional rules and evidence, not by any UGC list.
UGC CARE alternative
Indexing databases along with UGC’s suggested parameters.
IQAC journal verification
Check with your IQAC what the present evaluation practice is.
journal evidence file
Save the documents when the paper is published so they are ready for later evaluation.
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 follows UGC’s Suggested Parameters for Choosing Peer-Reviewed Journals, documents its alignment point by point, and charges a published fee of ₹971 INR 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
- CC BY 4.0, open to all readers
- Fee
- ₹971 INR for Indian and $41 USD for foreign authors, due only after acceptance
- DOI
- Crossref — available as an optional extra
- Indexing
- Included by Google Scholar, not by 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
- Two questions kept apartFee and recognition
- IQAC askedIn writing
- Evidence filedFor API or CAS
- Parameters checkedFor the journal
- Fee after acceptanceNever before
Gathering Evidence for an Evaluation File
| Item | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Full citation with link or DOI | Lets evaluators find the article |
| Journal’s ISSN and publisher | Identifies the journal precisely |
| Peer review evidence | Acceptance letter with reviewer comments |
| Journal policy pages | Show review model, ethics and transparency |
| Indexing evidence | Screenshots or links from the databases themselves |
| Your institution’s criteria | Show how the journal meets them |
JMVRA’s Position on UGC
Since institutions now use criteria of their own, find out from your IQAC or appointments committee which parameters apply, and hold evidence for every one. Refer to UGC’s suggested parameters. A short written note of the answers helps if you are asked to justify your choice later.
Practical Tips for Documenting Journal Quality for Evaluations
Faculty and scholars are now asked to justify their journal choices instead of pointing to one official list. These tips help you assemble sound, honest evidence and keep fee questions separate from quality questions.
- Ask for the current written rule. Request your institution's present guidance on journal evaluation in writing from the IQAC or research office. Rules change, and a dated document protects you from conflicting verbal advice.
- Collect evidence at publication time. Save the journal's policy pages, peer review description, licence statement and your decision letter when you publish. Retrieving these years later can be difficult.
- Let quality drive the choice. Decide whether a journal suits your paper on review practice, transparency and readership before looking at the fee. A low charge does not replace a sound editorial process.
- Describe claims precisely. In your evaluation file, state only what you can document, using the journal's own words and official sources. Overstated or borrowed claims can damage your credibility.
- Keep a tidy publication register. Maintain a simple table of each paper with its link, identifier, review evidence and payment receipt. A ready register makes appraisal and appointment applications far easier.
Obtain your institution's current rule in writing, gather proof as you publish, and judge journals on editorial quality before cost.
Questions Researchers Often Ask
How JMVRA Measures Up to UGC’s 35 Suggested Parameters
UGC’s 16 July 2025 notice replaces the 36 parameters of the February 2025 draft with the 35 of its final Annexure-I, arranged in 8 categories. By JMVRA’s own count, 28 are met, 2 are partly met, 3 are not published and 2 are not applicable, and a reason is given beside each.
Source: UGC public notice on CARE journals (PDF) · find the full explanation at 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.
Where to go next on jmvra.org
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