If you searched for “UGC approved journals for publishing papers” you are most likely a PhD scholar, faculty member, or postgraduate researcher with a paper ready to submit and a thesis or appointment requirement that says it must be in a UGC-recognised journal. This page is the operational checklist: what “UGC approved” means in 2026, how to verify a journal in five minutes, and how to submit to IJARST today if it works for your institution.
For the full background on what changed with the UGC approved list — including why the old list was discontinued in 2019 — see our step-by-step guide to publishing in a UGC-approved journal. This page assumes that context and gets straight to action.
Five-minute pre-submission checklist
Do these five steps before submitting to any journal that claims UGC recognition. Two of them are independent verification (do not trust the journal’s own marketing); the other three are getting your manuscript ready.
Step 1 — Verify the journal on the official UGC CARE portal
Go to ugccare.unipune.ac.in. Search by ISSN, not name (predatory journals frequently clone names). Capture a screenshot of the result for your records. The list updates quarterly, so verify within a week of submission.
Step 2 — Confirm with your institution’s research cell
Since 2023, individual Higher Education Institutions evaluate journals using UGC CARE’s “Suggestive Parameters” at their own discretion. A journal that is recognised at one university may not be at another. Email your research cell with the journal name, ISSN, and the screenshot from Step 1. Get explicit written confirmation before you submit.
Step 3 — Format the manuscript to journal specifications
For IJARST, follow the authors guidelines:
- File: MS Word (.docx) or PDF
- Length: 4–8 pages research / 8–15 pages review
- Layout: Times New Roman 12pt, double-column, A4 with 1-inch margins
- Sections: Title → Abstract (150–250 words) → Keywords (4–6) → Introduction → Literature Review → Methodology → Results → Conclusion → References
- Citation: IEEE preferred, APA acceptable (use one consistently)
Writing into the IJARST template up-front avoids almost every desk-rejection cause.
Step 4 — Run the plagiarism check
Similarity index must be below 20% via iThenticate, Turnitin, or Grammarly. Do this before you submit, not after. Self-plagiarism counts — including from your own conference papers or thesis. If you have unavoidable overlap with your earlier work, declare it in the cover letter.
Step 5 — Submit
With the journal verified, your institution confirmed, the manuscript formatted, and the plagiarism check passed, you are ready. Submit your research paper to IJARST here. Acknowledgement arrives within one to two working days with a manuscript reference number.
What “UGC approved” actually requires verifying in 2026
The phrase “UGC approved journal” persists in everyday usage, but the original UGC Approved Journals List was discontinued in 2019 after audits found many entries were predatory. The replacement is the UGC CARE Reference List of Quality Journals.
Two specific changes you should know:
- Decentralised evaluation: Since 2023, individual universities apply UGC CARE’s “Suggestive Parameters” to evaluate journals their faculty want to publish in. Your institution’s specific list may differ from another’s.
- Quarterly updates: Journals are added and removed every quarter. A journal that was on the list when your supervisor published two years ago may not be today.
Which is why Step 1 of the checklist is verifying with the live UGC CARE portal, not relying on a screenshot, a forwarded PDF, or a journal’s own claim. See our transparency policy for the standard we apply to ourselves on this.
After submission — what to expect
Once IJARST receives your submission:
- Acknowledgement: 1–2 working days, with manuscript reference number.
- Editorial desk screening: a few working days. Out-of-template submissions are returned with reasons.
- Peer review: typically under two weeks, double-blind, 2–5 independent subject experts (see editorial workflow).
- Decision letter: accept, minor revisions, major revisions, or reject. Most positive decisions are minor-revision on first submission.
- Production after acceptance: 6 days to live publication with Crossref DOI.
- Indexing: across our listed services (Crossref, Google Scholar, SJIF, Index Copernicus, EuroPub, Academia.edu) within standard crawl windows.
The Article Processing Charge (₹1,600 for Indian authors / USD $50 for international) is paid only after acceptance. There is no submission fee.
What if your journal verification step fails?
If the journal you were considering does not appear on the UGC CARE Reference List or your institution does not recognise it, the responsible action is to find a verified alternative — not to submit anyway and hope. Predatory journals frequently advertise themselves as UGC approved without being on the list; their papers will not be useful for your thesis or appointment requirements regardless of how the journal is marketed.
The pages on our editorial board and research quality commitment describe how IJARST documents the editorial controls and identity that you should look for in any journal you consider, UGC-recognised or otherwise.
