IJCRT · UGC CARE · 2026

IJCRT and UGC CARE: Journal Details and All 35 UGC Parameters

Everything an author, a supervisor or an institutional committee needs in one place: the full IJCRT journal record, what happened to the UGC-CARE list, how IJCRT answers each of UGC’s 35 suggestive parameters, and how to publish your paper.

Submit Your Paper See the 35 Parameters

Step 1 · The journal

IJCRT Journal Details

The record institutions ask for first — identity, ownership, metrics, charges and contact.

UGC and UGC-CARE approval, along with alignment with the latest UGC-CARE recommendations and guidelines. IJCRT is aligned with UGC's Suggested Parameters for Choosing Peer-Reviewed Journals.

IJCRT is a Transparent, Peer-Reviewed, Open Access Journal (Refereed Journal). Following the discontinuation of UGC and UGC-CARE journal listing, IJCRT is aligned with UGC’s Suggested Parameters for Choosing Peer-Reviewed Journals.

Read the UGC Public Notice on CARE Journals (PDF)
Journal nameInternational Journal of Creative Research Thoughts
Short nameIJCRT (IJCRT.ORG)
ISSN2320-2882 (Online)
Established2013
PublisherIJCRT Research Journal and Publication (IJCRT Publication)
Impact Factor9.17 — calculated by Google Scholar
UGC Approved Journal No.49023 (18)
FrequencyMonthly issues, every past issue archived
Access modelOpen access — free to read and download
Peer reviewTransparent, double-blind, refereed
DOICrossref DOI issued on request
Plagiarism screeningEvery submission screened; similarity below 15%
LanguageMultilingual — English, all Indian languages and foreign languages (confirm first)
ScopeMultidisciplinary, international
WebsiteIJCRT.ORG — official .org domain, HTTPS
LicenceCC BY 4.0 — Creative Commons Attribution

Publication charge

₹1501Indian authors
$59 USDForeign authors

Disclosed upfront. Invoiced only after acceptance — never at submission, never as a condition of review. Full charge details

Editorial contact

Emaileditor@ijcrt.org Mobile+91 94294 58311 WhatsApp+91 94294 58311

Step 2 · UGC

What Happened to the UGC CARE List

From the UGC-Approved List to UGC-CARE to suggestive parameters — the dates and what each step means for authors.

3 Oct 2024CARE listing discontinued (584th meeting)
1,474Journals in the archived final CARE list
35Suggestive parameters, 8 groups
16 Jul 2025Discontinuation confirmed

  1. 2017 – Apr 2018

    The UGC-Approved List

    IJCRT is recorded on the UGC-Approved List of Journals as Journal No. 49023, against ISSN 2320-2882, in Arts & Humanities, Multidisciplinary and Science, on a university recommendation.

  2. May 2018

    Standing Committee re-evaluation

    UGC re-evaluated the whole approved list after complaints about questionable journals and removed 4,305 titles. Entry 49023 is in that removal document (recorded reason: “Reject: Low Score”). IJCRT publishes the document on its UGC details page rather than leave it out.

  3. Nov 2018 – Jan 2019

    UGC-CARE replaces the approved list

    UGC set up the Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics (CARE). The old list of 3,153 journals was carried forward only as a cancelled record.

  4. 3 Oct 2024

    584th Commission meeting

    UGC decides to discontinue UGC-CARE listing of journals and to develop suggestive parameters for choosing peer-reviewed journals instead.

  5. 10 – 11 Feb 2025

    Final CARE list and public notice

    The final UGC-CARE list (1,474 journals as on 10 February 2025) is published for reference, and the discontinuation is announced, with draft parameters open for feedback until 25 February 2025.

  6. 24 Jun 2025

    591st Commission meeting

    UGC approves the final Suggestive Parameters for Peer-Reviewed Journals (Annexure-I) — 35 parameters in 8 groups (the February 2025 draft had 36).

  7. 16 Jul 2025

    Discontinuation confirmed

    The archived list “is intended to serve as a reference resource only; the inclusion or exclusion of a journal in this list does not imply validation or endorsement by the Commission.”

  8. 2026 — today

    Parameters, not lists

    No UGC or UGC-CARE journal list exists. Institutions apply the suggestive parameters themselves — which is why IJCRT answers every one of them below.

Before — the CARE list

  • A fixed list decided whether a journal “counted”
  • Journals were added and removed without public reasoning
  • Authors checked a name against a spreadsheet
  • Being absent from the list ended the discussion
  • Quality was inferred from membership, not examined

Now — suggestive parameters

  • Each journal is assessed against published criteria
  • Transparency and research integrity carry the weight
  • Authors can verify a journal themselves, point by point
  • Transparent peer review moves to the centre
  • Evidence is checkable rather than delegated to a list

Official UGC documents

Step 3 · The parameters

How IJCRT Meets UGC’s 35 Suggestive Parameters

The final Annexure-I to the UGC public notice of 16 July 2025, answered one parameter at a time. Where IJCRT publishes no figure, this page says so instead of inventing one. The February 2025 draft listed 36; its “Online Availability” item was dropped from the final list, so it is shown below for reference only and not counted.

28 of 35 parameters met, 2 partial, 3 not published, 2 not applicable
28/35met in full
  • Met28 parameters met in full, each with where it is published
  • Partial2 met in part — repository integration and indexation
  • Not published3 with no published figure, stated rather than filled in
  • Not applicable2 not applicable to an online-only, non-Scopus journal — print continuum and CiteScore
Group 1

Journal Preliminary Criteria

8/9 met
  • 1.1
    Journal TitleMet

    International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts (IJCRT), used consistently across the site, the DOI metadata and every issue.

  • 1.2
    ISSN NumberMet

    ISSN 2320-2882, verifiable on the official ISSN Portal and consistent with the ROAD registration.

  • 1.3
    Periodicity and ContinuityMet

    Monthly issues on a published schedule, with every past issue archived and reachable.

  • 1.4
    Contact and Publication DetailsMet

    Published by IJCRT Publication, with a verifiable postal address, a professional email domain (editor@ijcrt.org) and a published phone number, +91 94294 58311.

  • 1.5
    Transparent Review PolicyMet

    A published review policy with double-blind evaluation and reports issued to authors through Scholar9.com.

  • 1.6
    Website on a Certified DomainMet

    An official .org domain secured with HTTPS and verifiable WHOIS ownership.

  • 1.7
    Open Access or Subscription-Based PolicyMet

    Fully open access — free to read and download, with no reader paywall and the charge disclosed before submission.

  • 1.8
    Integration with National/International RepositoriesPartial

    Articles are discoverable in Google Scholar and archived in Zenodo, with Crossref DOI metadata. ONOS covers subscription titles, so it does not apply to a fully open access journal.

  • 1.9
    Archival PolicyMet

    Permanent article URLs, Crossref DOI on request and long-term preservation of every issue.

Group 2

Editorial Board Criteria

3/3 met
  • 2.1
    Editorial Board DetailsMet

    Editors and reviewers published with full names, affiliations and verifiable credentials.

  • 2.2
    Editorial Board CompositionMet

    Subject expertise across the disciplines the journal accepts, drawn from Indian and foreign institutions.

  • 2.3
    Efficient Editorial/Review ProcessMet

    Double-blind peer review against reviewer recommendations, with published timelines.

Group 3

Journal Editorial Policy

4/5 met
  • 3.1
    Aims, Objectives and ScopeMet

    Stated in full, with the scope defined per discipline.

  • 3.2
    Subject AreasMet

    Every accepted discipline is listed, including regional-language submissions.

  • 3.3
    Article Processing Charges (APC)Met

    ₹1501 for Indian authors and $59 for foreign authors, disclosed upfront and invoiced only after acceptance.

  • 3.4
    Publishing TimelineMet

    The submission-to-publication turnaround is published, and each step is tracked.

  • 3.5
    Acceptance RateNot published

    No acceptance-rate figure is published. Rather than estimate one, it is stated as unpublished.

Group 4

Journal Quality Criteria — Content

2/2 met
  • 4.1
    Academic ContributionMet

    Reviewers assess motivation, advancement of existing knowledge and applicability, and the report is shared with the author.

  • 4.2
    Conformity to Journal ScopeMet

    Submissions are desk-checked against the stated aims and scope before review.

Group 5

Journal Standards

6/7 met
  • 5.1
    Bibliographic Data & Literature CitationMet

    A standard referencing format is required and checked at copy-edit.

  • 5.2
    Font & DesignMet

    A published paper template fixes the layout, fonts and structure of every article.

  • 5.3
    Infographics & ExhibitsMet

    Figures, tables and supplementary material are accepted at publication quality.

  • 5.4
    Citation RecordMet

    Articles carry a public Google Scholar citation record, which is the basis of the journal’s Impact Factor.

  • 5.5
    Print ContinuumNot applicable

    Not applicable: the journal is online-first and does not run a print edition. A hard copy of a certificate or issue is available on request.

  • Draft
    Online AvailabilityDraft only

    Listed in the February 2025 draft but dropped from the final Annexure-I of 16 July 2025, so it is not counted. Full text of every article is still free to read and download, with no registration.

  • 5.6
    Quality of WebsiteMet

    Maintained over HTTPS, with the current issue updated on the monthly schedule and every archive link live.

  • 5.7
    Multilingual AvailabilityMet

    Submissions in regional languages are accepted alongside English.

Group 6

Research Ethics

4/4 met
  • 6.1
    Ethical Guidelines for AuthorsMet

    Authorship, ethics and disclosure policies aligned with COPE and ICMJE guidance.

  • 6.2
    Plagiarism PreventionMet

    Every submission is screened before review; the similarity report is available to the author on request. The accepted threshold is below 15%.

  • 6.3
    Conflict of Interest DisclosureMet

    A published conflict-of-interest policy covering governance, editors, reviewers and authors.

  • 6.4
    AI Generated Content PolicyMet

    Authors must disclose the use of AI tools, and AI-writing detection is available on the similarity check.

Group 7

Journal Visibility

1/2 met
  • 7.1
    Impact Factor or Similar Factor (if applicable)Met

    Impact Factor 9.17, calculated from Google Scholar citation data — not a purchased metric.

  • 7.2
    Indexation in Reputed DatabasesPartial

    Indexed in Google Scholar; registered with Crossref and ROAD (ISSN); archived in Zenodo. IJCRT is not indexed in Scopus, Web of Science or DOAJ, and says so.

Group 8

Journal Impact Criteria

0/3 met
  • 8.1
    Self-Citation ScoreNot published

    No self-citation score is computed or published for this journal.

  • 8.2
    Total Citation RateNot published

    The citation record is public on Google Scholar, but no total citation rate is published as a comparable figure.

  • 8.3
    Cite ScoreNot applicable

    Not applicable: CiteScore is computed by Scopus for the titles it indexes. IJCRT is not Scopus-indexed, so no CiteScore exists.

The same table with the full UGC record and every official PDF is on IJCRT UGC & UGC-CARE Journal Details, and the parameter-by-parameter explanation is on UGC CARE Discontinues — why IJCRT still qualifies.

Step 4 · Peer review

Transparent Peer Review at IJCRT

Double-blind while a paper is reviewed; afterwards a Transparent Peer Review Report on request, optional identity disclosure, a public review history and a verifiable certificate — the practices the UGC policy asks a credible journal to show.

3Open review models
Double-blindEvaluation by subject experts
On requestReview report, Indian authors
On requestReview report, foreign authors

Transparent Peer Review Report

The reviewer’s written comments and the editorial decision are given in a formal Transparent Peer Review Report, on request, so anyone can see how a conclusion was tested rather than taking “peer reviewed” on trust. Request the report

Open Identities

Reviewers may choose to be named. It stays optional on purpose — a junior reviewer assessing a senior author’s work must be able to be candid without attribution.

Open Participation

Authors, reviewers and editors discuss revisions in the open, turning review from a verdict handed down into a conversation that improves the paper.

  1. 1

    Submission

    The manuscript is checked for plagiarism, formatting and scope before it goes any further.

  2. 2

    Reviewer assignment

    Expert reviewers are assigned through the Scholar9 portal, on expertise, review history and availability.

  3. 3

    Open review

    Originality, methodology, significance and clarity are assessed under one of the three open models.

  4. 4

    Decision & revision

    Accept, accept with minor or major revisions, or reject. Authors revise against the written feedback.

  5. 5

    Post-publication

    The review is recorded on Scholar9, the formal report is available on request, consented reviewer identities can be shown, and the certificate is issued.

Transparent versus traditional (closed) peer review
AspectTraditional (closed)Transparent (IJCRT)
Reviewer reportSeen only by the authorFormal report available on request
Reviewer identityAlways anonymousDisclosed if the reviewer consents
Editorial decisionUnexplained to readersDocumented and visible
Reviewer creditInvisible workCertificate and appreciation letter
Accountability for biasHard to detectOpen to scrutiny
Reader can verify rigourMust take it on trustCan read the review itself
Sample transparent review report IJCRT Transparent Peer Review Certificate (PDF) Transparent Peer Review — full process

For every author

No List? Check Any Journal Yourself in Six Steps

With no UGC list, verification is yours to do. A journal that fails several of these is one to avoid, whatever it claims.

  1. Verify the ISSN

    Look the ISSN up on the ISSN Portal (for Indian titles, ISSN India at NSL-NIScPR) and confirm it matches the exact journal title.

  2. Read the review policy

    A credible journal publishes how review works, who reviews and how long it takes. No published policy is a warning sign.

  3. Check the publisher

    A real postal address, a professional email domain rather than Gmail or Yahoo, and a phone number that answers.

  4. Resolve a DOI

    Open one of the journal’s DOIs at doi.org. It should resolve to the article on the journal’s own site.

  5. Open the archive

    Past issues should exist, open and match the stated frequency — not a single issue or a broken archive page.

  6. Find the fee before you submit

    The charge should be printed upfront and never raised after acceptance or demanded before review.

Step 5 · Publish

You Can Publish Your Paper in IJCRT

A transparent, peer-reviewed, open access and refereed journal, with a Crossref DOI on request, a Google Scholar Impact Factor of 9.17, monthly issues and a fee you know before you submit.

  1. Step 1

    Prepare

    Format your manuscript with the publication guidelines and paper template.

  2. Step 2

    Submit online

    Upload it on the submission page, or email it to editor@ijcrt.org.

  3. Step 3

    Screening & review

    A plagiarism check, then transparent double-blind peer review by subject experts.

  4. Step 4

    Acceptance

    Only after acceptance is the charge invoiced: ₹1501 (Indian) or $59 (foreign).

  5. Step 5

    Publication

    Your paper is published open access in the monthly issue, with a certificate and a Crossref DOI on request.

₹1501Indian authors
$59Foreign authors
Submit Paper Online Call for Paper WhatsApp +91 94294 58311

At a glance

IJCRT and the 35 Parameters on One Page

The full parameter list above is the evidence; this is the summary a committee can take in at a glance — group by group, with the gaps shown rather than hidden.

IJCRT against UGC's 35 suggestive parameters: preliminary criteria 8 of 9, editorial board 3 of 3, editorial policy 4 of 5, content quality 2 of 2, journal standards 6 of 7, research ethics 4 of 4, journal visibility 1 of 2, impact criteria 0 of 3; 28 met in full, 2 partly met, 3 with no published figure, 2 not applicable
Green: met in full · orange: partly met · grey: no published figure. Six of the eight groups are met completely.

2Partly met

  • 1.8 Repository integration — Google Scholar, Zenodo and Crossref metadata are in place; ONOS covers subscription titles, so it does not apply to an open access journal.
  • 7.2 Indexation in reputed databases — indexed in Google Scholar and registered with Crossref and ROAD; not in Scopus, Web of Science or DOAJ.

3 + 2No published figure / not applicable

  • 3.5 Acceptance rate — no figure published
  • 8.1 Self-citation score · 8.2 Total citation rate — no figure published
  • 5.5 Print continuum — not applicable: the journal is online-first
  • 8.3 CiteScore — not applicable: a Scopus metric

For committees and supervisors

An Evidence Pack You Can Check in Minutes

With no central list, institutions decide for themselves. Each card below opens a record held outside this page, so a committee can confirm IJCRT’s details without relying on the journal’s word.

IdentityISSN 2320-2882The serial record at the ISSN International Centre.ISSN Portal ↗ UGC positionUGC public noticeThe official notice on CARE journals, in UGC’s own words.ugc.gov.in PDF ↗ Citations61,542 citationsGoogle Scholar profile · h-index 96 · basis of the 9.17 impact factor.Google Scholar ↗ Identifiers3,182 Crossref DOIsRegistered under prefix 10.56975, each resolving at doi.org.Crossref record ↗ Peer reviewScholar9 review recordTransparent, double-blind review recorded in a public registry.Scholar9 ↗ Editorial boardNamed editors & reviewersMembers listed with names and affiliations; 3,000+ reviewers.Editorial board → OriginalitySimilarity below 15%Turnitin / iThenticate screening of every submission before review.Plagiarism policy → Charges₹1501 / $59Published before submission, payable only after acceptance; up to 5 authors.Publication charges →

Multilingual

Publish in Your Language

Research done in an Indian language can be published in that language, with the same transparent, double-blind review.

IJCRT accepts papers in English, in all Indian (local) languages and in foreign languages. For a language other than English, confirm with the editorial office before submission that a language editor and reviewers are available for your language, and send the font details and font file. Full steps are on Publishing in Your Language.

  • Hindi
  • Gujarati
  • Marathi
  • Bengali
  • Tamil
  • Telugu
  • Kannada
  • Malayalam
  • Punjabi
  • Odia
  • Urdu
  • Sanskrit
  • French
  • Spanish
  • Arabic
  • and others

Questions

IJCRT and UGC CARE — FAQ

Is IJCRT UGC CARE approved in 2026?

No journal is on a UGC-CARE list in 2026, because UGC discontinued CARE listing — decided at the 584th Commission meeting on 3 October 2024, published on 11 February 2025 and confirmed on 16 July 2025. IJCRT is a Transparent, Peer-Reviewed, Open Access Journal (Refereed Journal) aligned with UGC’s Suggested Parameters for Choosing Peer-Reviewed Journals, and this page answers all 35 of them.

What is IJCRT’s UGC Approved Journal Number?

IJCRT’s UGC Approved Journal No. is 49023 (18), recorded against ISSN 2320-2882. In the May 2018 Standing Committee re-evaluation, 4,305 entries were removed from the approved list, including No. 49023; UGC-CARE replaced the list in 2019 and was itself discontinued in 2025. The full record, with the official documents, is on the IJCRT UGC details page.

Which UGC parameters does IJCRT not fully meet?

Three of the 35 carry no published figure: acceptance rate (3.5), self-citation score (8.1) and total citation rate (8.2). Two do not apply: print continuum (5.5 — the journal is online-first) and CiteScore (8.3, a Scopus metric). Two are partial: repository integration (1.8) and indexation in reputed databases (7.2). The other 28 are met.

Can I use an IJCRT paper for promotion, API score or a PhD requirement?

That is your institution’s decision, and under the current framework it is meant to be. UGC asks higher education institutions to apply the suggestive parameters, if useful through internal committees. This page is laid out so a committee can check IJCRT against each parameter directly.

How much does it cost to publish in IJCRT?

The publication charge is ₹1501 for Indian authors and $59 USD for foreign authors. It is disclosed upfront and invoiced only after your paper has been accepted through peer review — never at submission.

Is IJCRT indexed in Scopus or Web of Science?

No. IJCRT is indexed in Google Scholar, registered with Crossref and ROAD (ISSN) and archived in Zenodo. It is not indexed in Scopus, Web of Science or DOAJ. If your institution requires Scopus or Web of Science, choose from the official lists — and always verify by ISSN.

How do I get my transparent peer review report?

Review runs through Scholar9.com. The transparent peer review report is available on request. You can see a sample report.

How do I submit my paper to IJCRT?

Submit online at ijcrt.org/submitpaper.php, or email your manuscript to editor@ijcrt.org. For help, call or WhatsApp +91 94294 58311.

What evidence can I show my institution about IJCRT?

The evidence pack on this page links to records held outside the journal: the ISSN Portal record, the UGC public notice, the Google Scholar profile (61,542 citations), the Crossref record (3,182 DOIs), the Scholar9 review record, the editorial board, the plagiarism policy and the published charges, alongside IJCRT’s answer to each of the 35 parameters.

Can I publish my paper in Hindi or another Indian language?

Yes. IJCRT accepts papers in English, in all Indian (local) languages and in foreign languages. Before submission, confirm with the editorial office that a language editor and reviewers are available for your language, and send the font details and font file.

Related Pages

UGC recordIJCRT UGC & UGC-CARE Journal Details ParametersUGC CARE Discontinues — Why IJCRT Still Qualifies ListUGC CARE Journal List and Official PDFs Peer reviewTransparent Peer Review Certification and Process StatusUGC CARE / UGC Approved Status GuideUGC Suggested Parameters Explained NewsUGC CARE List Discontinued ProcessIJCRT Peer Review Process FeesPublication Charges

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