Oct 19, 2026 · @Veerakannan Es
SEO setup (remove before publishing)
Paste these into Rank Math or Yoast on the WordPress post.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Focus keyword | UGC CARE standard parameters |
| SEO title (51 characters) | UGC CARE Parameters 2026: How Tamilmanam Meets Them |
| Meta description (149 characters) | UGC discontinued the CARE list in 2025. See all 8 groups of UGC’s suggestive journal parameters and how Tamilmanam (e-ISSN 3049-0723) addresses them. |
| URL slug | ugc-care-standard-parameters-tamilmanam |
| Secondary keywords | UGC CARE list discontinued; UGC suggestive parameters for peer-reviewed journals; UGC CARE alternative; peer-reviewed Tamil journal; Tamil research journal with DOI; யுஜிசி கேர் பட்டியல் |
| Category | Tamil resources |
| Schema | Article + FAQPage (use the FAQ section below) |
| Featured image alt text | UGC suggestive parameters for peer-reviewed journals mapped to Tamilmanam Tamil research journal |
| H1 | What Is UGC CARE? Standard Parameters and How Tamilmanam Follows Them |
Site fixes found while checking the links (each helps the claims in this post hold up):
- Publish an acceptance rate for the last 12 months; UGC parameter 3.5 asks for it, and the post has a placeholder in section 3.
- Policy pages (plagiarism, archiving, AI, editorial board) carry a nofollow robots tag. Switch them to follow in Rank Math so internal links pass value.
- The Archiving Policy page still loads the old theme: its footer names Mariammal Educational Trust, its Login link points to aathiyoga.in, and its menu uses old URLs (/author-charges/, /contact-new/).
- The special issue post spells the journal தமிழ்மனம் instead of தமிழ்மணம்.
- Link Index Copernicus on the homepage to the journal’s own record, not the ICI home page.
The UGC-CARE journal list no longer exists. The University Grants Commission discontinued it on 11 February 2025 and, on 16 July 2025, issued 35 suggestive parameters in eight groups that researchers and institutions now use to judge whether a peer-reviewed journal is worth publishing in.
This guide explains what UGC CARE was, what the UGC public notice changed, the full list of parameters, and how Tamilmanam – International Research Journal of Tamil Studies meets each one. Every claim about the journal links to its own policy page, so you can check it yourself before you submit a manuscript.
In short:
- There is no longer an official “UGC approved” or “UGC-CARE listed” journal list. UGC keeps the old list only as a reference.
- Universities and colleges now judge journals themselves, using UGC’s suggestive parameters.
- Tamilmanam (e-ISSN 3049-0723, p-ISSN 3107-7781) publishes the documents those parameters ask for: peer review, ethics, AI, plagiarism, archiving, fees, editorial board and indexing.
What is UGC CARE?
UGC-CARE stands for the UGC Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics. UGC set it up through a public notice dated 28 November 2018 to maintain a reference list of credible journals and steer Indian researchers away from predatory publishers.
For six years, “UGC-CARE listed” was the label many universities asked for when counting publications for PhD submission, faculty recruitment, promotion and research funding. A paper in a listed journal counted; a paper elsewhere often did not.
Why UGC dropped the list
The list drew steady criticism. Careers360 reported the main complaints from researchers:
- Too much central control and slow decisions.
- Predatory journals still appearing on the list.
- Little transparency about why journals were added or removed.
- Journals in Indian languages left out.
- Pressure to publish only in listed journals, and uncertainty when a journal was dropped without warning.
UGC’s expert committee also found that the model brought subjectivity into assessment, and was weakest in judging non-STEM journals. That point matters for Tamil studies, where most serious journals publish in Tamil and work in the humanities.
What the UGC public notice changed
Two UGC public notices replaced the CARE list: the 11 February 2025 notice ended CARE listing and published draft parameters, and the 16 July 2025 notice issued the final version.
| Date | What UGC did |
|---|---|
| 22 Dec 2025 | Asked every higher education institution (HEI) to report how it is applying the parameters, by 5 January 2026 (UGC letter) |
| 16 Jul 2025 | Issued the final suggestive parameters (Annexure-I) and posted the 1,474 journals that were CARE-listed on 10 February 2025, as a reference only |
| 24 Jun 2025 | 591st Commission meeting approved the parameters after stakeholder feedback |
| 25 Feb 2025 | Feedback window on the draft parameters closed |
| 11 Feb 2025 | Public notice F.No. 1-1/2018(CARE/JOURNAL) discontinued UGC-CARE listing and released draft parameters |
| 3 Oct 2024 | 584th Commission meeting decided to discontinue the list on the expert committee’s advice |
| 28 Nov 2018 | UGC-CARE established |
What this means for researchers
- No more “UGC-CARE approved” label. The reference list is frozen at 10 February 2025, and UGC states that inclusion or exclusion does not mean the Commission validates or endorses a journal.
- Institutions decide. HEIs may set up internal committees to adapt the parameters to their own disciplines and review them over time.
- You choose, with evidence. Faculty members and students pick journals by checking them against the parameters, and UGC asks everyone to follow these guidelines for publication activity.
- Draft vs final. The July 2025 version no longer lists online availability as a separate item, and widens 7.1 from “impact factor” to “impact factor or similar factor”.
UGC standard parameters for peer-reviewed journals
UGC’s final list has 35 parameters in eight groups. They are suggestive, not a pass-or-fail test: each institution weighs them for its own disciplines.
| Group | Parameters | The question it answers |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Journal preliminary criteria (9) | 1.1 Journal title · 1.2 ISSN (print and/or online) · 1.3 Periodicity and continuity · 1.4 Contact and publisher details · 1.5 Transparent review policy · 1.6 Website on a certified domain · 1.7 Open access or subscription policy · 1.8 Links with national or international repositories (such as ONOS) · 1.9 Archival policy | Is this a real, regular, transparent journal? |
| 2. Editorial board criteria (3) | 2.1 Board details · 2.2 Board composition · 2.3 Efficient editorial and review process | Who runs it, and do they review properly? |
| 3. Journal editorial policy (5) | 3.1 Aims, objectives and scope · 3.2 Subject areas · 3.3 Article processing charges · 3.4 Publishing timeline · 3.5 Acceptance rate | Are its focus, fees and speed stated openly? |
| 4. Content quality (2) | 4.1 Academic contribution · 4.2 Conformity to journal scope | Do its articles add knowledge? |
| 5. Journal standards (7) | 5.1 Bibliographic data and citation · 5.2 Font and design · 5.3 Infographics and exhibits · 5.4 Citation record · 5.5 Print continuum · 5.6 Quality of website · 5.7 Multilingual availability | Is it professionally produced and relevant to India? |
| 6. Research ethics (4) | 6.1 Ethical guidelines for authors · 6.2 Plagiarism prevention · 6.3 Conflict of interest disclosure · 6.4 AI-generated content policy | Does it protect research integrity? |
| 7. Journal visibility (2) | 7.1 Impact factor or similar factor · 7.2 Indexing in reputed databases | Can other scholars find it? |
| 8. Journal impact (3) | 8.1 Self-citation score · 8.2 Total citation rate · 8.3 CiteScore | Is its work cited by others? |
Parameter 5.7 deserves attention from Tamil scholars. The framework names content in Indian languages as a quality marker in its own right.
How Tamilmanam follows the UGC parameters
Tamilmanam addresses 31 of the 35 parameters with a published policy or public record; acceptance rate is not yet published, and the three citation metrics in group 8 need more years of data. Each row links to the page that proves it.
1. Journal preliminary criteria
| UGC parameter | How Tamilmanam meets it | Check here |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1 Journal title | Tamilmanam – International Research Journal of Tamil Studies (தமிழ்மணம் சர்வதேசத் தமிழ் ஆய்விதழ்) | About the journal |
| 1.2 ISSN | e-ISSN 3049-0723 (online), p-ISSN 3107-7781 (print) | About the journal |
| 1.3 Periodicity and continuity | Monthly since October 2024; the October 2026 issue (Vol. 12, No. 05) carries 19 articles | Current issue, Archives |
| 1.4 Contact and publisher | Department of Library, Nallamuthu Gounder Mahalingam College (Autonomous), 90 Palghat Road, Pollachi 642 001; editor@tamilmanam.in; +91 97881 75456 | Contact, Ownership and funding |
| 1.5 Transparent review policy | Double-blind review by at least 2 subject experts, with every step published | Peer review process |
| 1.6 Website on a certified domain | Own HTTPS domain, tamilmanam.in, with an Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform | Journal platform |
| 1.7 Access and fees policy | Gold open access under CC BY 4.0 from the day of publication, with no embargo | Open access statement, Copyright and licensing |
| 1.8 Repositories | Crossref DOI metadata (prefix 10.63300), Internet Archive and Humanities Commons; authors may deposit any version in any repository. ONOS covers subscription journals, and Tamilmanam is free to read without it | Indexing, Self-archiving policy |
| 1.9 Archival policy | Version of record kept with its DOI and backups; LOCKSS, CLOCKSS or Portico planned where eligible | Archiving policy |
2. Editorial board criteria
| UGC parameter | How Tamilmanam meets it | Check here |
|---|---|---|
| 2.1 Board details | Name, post, institution and e-mail for every member, plus a PDF copy | Editorial board |
| 2.2 Board composition | 28 scholars: 2 editors, 7 associate editors, 9 international board members (5 from Sri Lanka) and 10 advisers, including members from the University of Malaya, Central University of Tamil Nadu and a Sahitya Akademi advisory committee member | Editorial board |
| 2.3 Efficient review process | Editorial screening, then review; authors answer every reviewer comment; first decision in about 1–2 weeks | Peer review process, Track article |
3. Journal editorial policy
| UGC parameter | How Tamilmanam meets it | Check here |
|---|---|---|
| 3.1 Aims and scope | Published aims and scope covering Tamil from the classical period to the present | Aims and scope |
| 3.2 Subject areas | Classical and modern Tamil literature; grammar and linguistics; criticism and comparative literature; history, epigraphy and culture; folklore and performing arts; translation; Tamil education and computing | Aims and scope |
| 3.3 Article processing charges | No submission fee; ₹1,000 only after acceptance, covering publication, DOI and e-certificates; waivers on request | APC |
| 3.4 Publishing timeline | First decision in about 1–2 weeks; accepted articles appear in the next monthly issue | FAQ |
| 3.5 Acceptance rate | Editors to add: acceptance rate for the last 12 months | About the journal |
4. Content quality
| UGC parameter | How Tamilmanam meets it | Check here |
|---|---|---|
| 4.1 Academic contribution | Reviewers recommend accept, revise or reject on merit; work based on primary sources (texts, manuscripts, inscriptions, fieldwork) is especially welcome | Peer review process |
| 4.2 Conformity to scope | Editors check scope at screening and return papers that do not fit, with reasons | Peer review process |
5. Journal standards
| UGC parameter | How Tamilmanam meets it | Check here |
|---|---|---|
| 5.1 Bibliographic data and citation | Set reference format; quotations from classical texts must cite the edition and verse or sūtra number | Author guidelines |
| 5.2 Font and design | Every article has its own page and a paginated full-text PDF | Current issue |
| 5.3 Infographics and exhibits | Permission required for manuscript images and photographs; field data and recordings shared where possible | Research ethics, Sources and data |
| 5.4 Citation record | Indexed in Google Scholar and registered with Crossref, where citations can be traced | Indexing |
| 5.5 Print continuum | Separate print ISSN (3107-7781) registered | About the journal |
| 5.6 Quality of website | Bilingual site (Tamil, English or both), policies reviewed October 2026, online article tracking | All policies |
| 5.7 Multilingual availability | Articles in Tamil or English; title, abstract and keywords always in both | FAQ |
6. Research ethics
| UGC parameter | How Tamilmanam meets it | Check here |
|---|---|---|
| 6.1 Ethical guidelines for authors | Policies follow COPE Core Practices; authorship criteria and a CRediT contributor statement | Publication ethics, Authorship and AI |
| 6.2 Plagiarism prevention | Every submission checked with Plagiarism Checker X; 15% overall similarity as a guide; doubtful Tamil passages checked by hand | Plagiarism policy |
| 6.3 Conflict of interest | Authors, reviewers and editors must declare interests; editors decide independently of the owner | Conflicts of interest, Ownership and funding |
| 6.4 AI policy | AI cannot be an author; all AI use must be disclosed; invented references count as misconduct; reviewers may not upload manuscripts to AI tools | Authorship and AI |
7. Journal visibility
| UGC parameter | How Tamilmanam meets it | Check here |
|---|---|---|
| 7.1 Impact factor or similar | No impact factor is advertised. Bought or invented “impact factors” are a common sign of predatory journals | Indexing |
| 7.2 Indexing | Google Scholar, Crossref, Index Copernicus, Internet Archive, Humanities Commons and ABCD Index | Indexing |
8. Journal impact
| UGC parameter | How Tamilmanam meets it | Check here |
|---|---|---|
| 8.1 Self-citation score | Citations traceable through Crossref and Google Scholar; the journal is too young for a stable score | Indexing |
| 8.2 Total citation rate | Same as 8.1; readers can follow citations from each article’s DOI | Archives |
| 8.3 CiteScore | CiteScore is a Scopus metric, and Tamilmanam does not claim Scopus coverage | Indexing |
Checklist: how to vet any journal before you submit
Use these seven checks on any journal, Tamilmanam included. Each takes a few minutes and covers the parameters institutions weigh most.
- Verify the ISSN on the ISSN Portal. Tamilmanam’s e-ISSN is 3049-0723.
- Open a DOI. A real Crossref DOI resolves at doi.org to the article page. Try any article in the current issue.
- Read the review policy and look for named editors with real institutions on the editorial board.
- Find the fee before you submit. Avoid journals that ask for money before review. Tamilmanam charges only after acceptance.
- Look for ethics, plagiarism and AI policies that say what happens when rules are broken. See Tamilmanam’s policy hub.
- Check your own institution’s rules. Your university’s internal committee has the final say on which journals count.
- Prepare your manuscript to the guidelines: title, abstract and keywords in Tamil and English; an ORCID iD for the corresponding author; a contributor statement; and a note on any AI use. The author guidelines list the rest.
Frequently asked questions
Is the UGC CARE list still valid in 2026?
No. UGC discontinued CARE listing on 11 February 2025. It keeps the 1,474 journals listed on 10 February 2025 only as a reference, and says inclusion or exclusion does not mean endorsement.
What are the UGC standard parameters for journals?
They are 35 suggestive parameters in eight groups, issued in the UGC public notice of 16 July 2025: preliminary criteria, editorial board, editorial policy, content quality, journal standards, research ethics, visibility and impact.
Is Tamilmanam a UGC-approved journal?
UGC no longer approves or lists journals, so no journal can honestly claim to be “UGC approved” today. Tamilmanam publishes the policies and records the UGC parameters ask for, so your institution can assess it directly.
Will my university accept a Tamilmanam paper?
That is your institution’s decision. UGC asks each HEI to apply the parameters through its own internal committee. You can share this page and the linked policies with that committee.
Does Tamilmanam charge a fee?
Only after acceptance. Submission, screening and peer review are free. Accepted papers pay an APC of ₹1,000, which covers online publication, DOI registration and e-certificates for all authors.
How long does peer review take?
Most authors get a first decision within 1–2 weeks. At least 2 reviewers read each research article without knowing who wrote it.
Can I submit in Tamil?
Yes. Tamilmanam accepts articles in Tamil or English. The title, abstract and keywords must be given in both languages.
Can I use AI tools to write my paper?
You may use them, but you must disclose the tool and how you used it. AI cannot be listed as an author, and invented references are treated as misconduct.
Conclusion: choose journals on evidence, not labels
The end of the CARE list moves the burden of proof to each journal. A journal now earns trust by publishing its policies, editors, fees and record, and letting readers check them.
Tamilmanam has done that for Tamil studies: monthly issues since October 2024, double-blind review, Crossref DOIs, open access under CC BY 4.0, and written policies on ethics, plagiarism and AI.
Ready to publish?
- Submit your manuscript — submissions are open all year.
- Read the current issue or browse the archives.
- See the call for papers and the special issue call.
- Join as a reviewer if you work in Tamil language, literature or culture.
- More guides in Tamil resources.
References
- University Grants Commission. Public Notice F.No. 1-1/2018(CARE/JOURNAL), discontinuation of UGC-CARE listing, 11 February 2025.
- University Grants Commission. Public Notice on suggestive parameters for choosing peer-reviewed journals, 16 July 2025 (copy hosted by Central University of Gujarat).
- University Grants Commission. List of UGC-CARE journals as on 10 February 2025, reference only.
- University Grants Commission. Request for feedback on implementation of suggestive parameters, 22 December 2025 (copy hosted by Plaksha University).
- Careers360. UGC-CARE list scrapped, institutions free to identify quality journals, 11 February 2025.
- Careers360. UGC suggests parameters for choosing peer-reviewed journals, 17 July 2025.