Publishing your research in a reputable journal shouldn’t feel like a financial burden—and that’s exactly why free UGC Indexed journals with zero publication charges are becoming the top choice for students, scholars, and academic professionals across India. As UGC CARE continues to strengthen journal quality and eliminate predatory publishing, researchers are actively searching for authentic, no-fee UGC-indexed journals where they can publish their work without compromising credibility.
UGC indexed journals really are, why they matter for academic growth, and how you can publish your paper completely free of cost in trusted journals approved by UGC CARE. PhD scholar, early-career researcher, or faculty member, publishing process confidently—while avoiding misleading or predatory journals.
What is a UGC-indexed (UGC-CARE) journal — and why it matters!
UGC-CARE (Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics) is the University Grants Commission’s quality-control initiative that maintains a reference list of journals considered acceptable for academic recognition in India. The list is intended as a tool for researchers and institutions to identify peer-reviewed, quality journals for publication and evaluation. Being on the UGC-CARE list signals that a journal has met baseline editorial and ethical standards recognised by Indian higher-education authorities.
- Academic recognition: Publications in UGC-CARE journals are typically accepted for faculty promotion, PhD requirements, and many institutional evaluations.
- Credibility: Inclusion usually indicates some level of peer-review and editorial oversight (though inclusion alone is not a guarantee of high quality).
- Visibility: Many indexed journals have broader discoverability through libraries and citation databases.
Free vs. paid UGC-CARE journals — what’s the difference?
Free UGC journals (no APCs/no publication fee)
Journals do not charge authors article processing charges (APCs) or publication fees. Funded by universities, scholarly societies, institutional budgets, or grants. Benefits include wider accessibility for low-budget researchers and avoiding conflicts of interest where revenue depends on accepting papers.
Paid UGC journals (charge APCs or page charges)
Many legitimate, high-quality open-access journals charge APCs to cover peer review management, typesetting, DOI registration, and hosting. Charging fees is not, by itself, a sign of low quality. However, the business model can be abused by predatory publishers who accept articles for payment without proper peer review.
Detailed (but non-exhaustive) list of free UGC-indexed journals!
Because UGC-CARE is regularly updated and different subject areas have many titles, I’m not listing every free UGC journal — instead this curated, representative list points you to several journals that (as of recent public sources) advertise no publication fee and reportedly appear on UGC-CARE listings or are listed in third-party compilations of free UGC-approved journals. Always verify each journal’s current UGC status and fee policy on the official UGC/UGC-CARE portal and on the journal’s website before submitting. Sources collecting free-journal lists and some journal pages reporting “no fee” are used here as starting points.
How to verify whether a journal is truly UGC-indexed (step-by-step)
Verification is the single most important step. Don’t rely only on claims on a journal website or in email solicitations.
- Go to the official UGC/UGC-CARE portal (authoritative source). The UGC and CARE pages outline the program and provide access to the reference list. Use the portal search to look up a journal by title or ISSN.
- Search by ISSN — prefer the ISSN (print or e-ISSN) rather than the journal name because titles can be similar or change over time. The UGC/CARE search results will show the journal’s entry if it is included.
- Check the date of the UGC listing — UGC posts dates; make sure the listing is current and not a historic copy. Public notices list snapshot dates (e.g., 10 Feb 2025). Cross-check the publisher — verify the publisher shown in UGC’s listing matches the journal’s publisher. Predatory journals sometimes copy names or create fake pages.
- Confirm fee policy on the journal website — look for explicit statements about APCs or “no fee to authors.” If unclear, check the “Instructions for Authors,” “Publication Ethics,” or “About” pages and any recent editorial announcements.
- Look up DOIs and index presence — legitimate journals commonly assign DOIs (CrossRef) and have clear indexing statements. If a journal claims multiple major indexes but provides no verifiable evidence (searchable DOI, Scopus list, Web of Science list), treat the claim skeptically.
- Check independent databases — portals like ABCD Index, institutional pages, and university libraries often rehost or index UGC-CARE lists; use them to cross-verify but rely on the UGC/CARE portal as the primary source.
Step-by-step process to submit your paper for free to a UGC-indexed journal!
- Identify suitable journals
- Use UGC-CARE search (by ISSN/title) to create a short list of journals in your field that show “no APC” on their website.
- Check aims/scope and recent articles to ensure topic fit.
- Read author guidelines & check templates
- Download the author instructions, manuscript template, and required cover letter format. Follow formatting, referencing style, and word limits exactly.
- Prepare your manuscript to the journal’s specs
- Structure (abstract, keywords, introduction, methodology, results, discussion, conclusion, references).
- Use the journal’s reference style (APA, Vancouver, Chicago, etc.). Convert references carefully.
- Prepare auxiliary documents
- Cover letter (personalised to the editor, stating significance and UGC indexing if relevant).
- Declaration forms (conflict of interest, authorship statement, copyright transfer or licence to publish).
- Ethics approvals (if human/animal research).
- Run quality checks
- Proofread/revise for clarity; use grammar tools and peer feedback.
- Check for plagiarism (many free journals expect <15-20% similarity; follow your institution’s policy).
- Format tables and figures, ensure high-resolution images and labelled axes.
- Submission
- Use the journal’s manuscript submission system (online portal or email). If portal: register, fill metadata (authors, affiliations, keywords), upload files. If email: follow filename and subject line instructions exactly.
- Track and respond
- Save submission acknowledgement and tracking number.
- Respond promptly and politely to editorial queries and revise per reviewer comments. Revisions are typical — treat them as collaborative steps.
- Final checks before publication
- Check the galley proofs carefully for typesetting errors.
- Confirm there is no unexpected fee at acceptance; ask for written confirmation if the publisher later requests payment.
How to spot predatory or fake journals!
- Aggressive solicitation emails: blanket “publish with us” emails with flattery and promises of fast acceptance.
- No clear peer review policy: vague or absent description of peer review, or claims of acceptance within days.
- Fake indexing claims: listing indexes without links or evidence, or claiming to be “indexed in UGC” but no record on the UGC portal.
- Editorial board issues: editors with unknown affiliations, fake names, missing institutional emails, or listed scholars who deny membership.
- Hidden fees sprung at acceptance: fees not mentioned anywhere until after acceptance.
- Poor website quality: broken links, scrambled content, amateurish layout, and mismatch in ISSN numbers.
- Excessive number of issues: unrealistic publication frequency (e.g., daily or weekly “journals”) that suggests no real peer review.
- Publisher transparency: no physical address, no contact phone, or dubious publisher identity.
Tips to increase your chances of acceptance in free UGC journals!
- Match the journal’s scope: pick the best fit — topical fit matters more than prestige for acceptance.
- Strong, concise abstract & title: editors and reviewers often decide based on the abstract — make it clear, compelling, and contribution-focused.
- Literature gap & novelty: explicitly state the gap your paper fills and why it matters to the journal’s readership.
- Methodological rigor: clear methods, reproducible steps, and appropriate statistics or analysis strengthen reviewer confidence.
- Follow formatting rules exactly: small formatting failures lead to desk rejection.
- Cite recent articles from the target journal (when relevant): demonstrates familiarity and fit — but never force irrelevant citations.
- Professional language and proofreading: use professional editing if needed; clarity reduces reviewer friction.
- Respond to reviewer comments respectfully and comprehensively: provide a point-by-point response and highlight changes in the manuscript.
- Pre-submission inquiry: for borderline fit papers, a short email to the editor with an abstract asking if the topic is suitable can save time.
- Network & mentorship: get feedback from senior colleagues or mentors who’ve published in your target journals.
Publishing in free UGC-indexed journals is one of the smartest ways for researchers, scholars, and academicians to share their work without financial barriers. Journals uphold academic quality while ensuring that every researcher, regardless of funding, has the opportunity to contribute to global knowledge. With the rapid growth of predatory publishers, it is more important than ever to verify a journal’s authenticity through the official UGC-CARE portal, check its ISSN details, and review its editorial transparency before submitting.