Indian Government Aims to Take Down Predatory Journals

A government body that regulates higher education has asked universities for a “white list” of legitimate scientific journals by August 30.

Sukanya Charuchandra
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Universities in India have until August 30 to present a “white list” of recognized journals to the University Grants Commission, a government body that provides funding and maintains higher-education standards in the country. In previously submitted recommendations, universities have included predatory journals, publishers that charge high fees for low-quality or no peer review.

“We will end this menace of predatory journals,” Prakash Javadekar, the minister of Human Resources Development for India, said during a parliamentary session last month, according to Nature.

Not only are several publishers of predatory journals based in India, but also a large number of the studies reported in these outlets are credited to Indian academics, reports Nature. However, researchers claim that the government’s overhaul of the academic assessment system in 2010 led to this state of affairs. The University Grants Commission’s (UGC) new format emphasized the number of publications a scientist authored and ...

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Meet the Author

  • Sukanya Charuchandra

    Sukanya Charuchandra

    Originally from Mumbai, Sukanya Charuchandra is a freelance science writer based out of wherever her travels take her. She holds master’s degrees in Science Journalism and Biotechnology. You can read her work at sukanyacharuchandra.com.

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