Abstract The UGC CARE List was introduced in 2019 to replace the 'UGC List of approved journals' and serve as a reference for researchers and institutions to identify quality journals for publishing their work, ensuring adherence to ethical standards and promoting credible research. As time went on, the UGC CARE List faced many criticisms. Owing to many such criticisms, the list was withdrawn in... The UGC CARE List was introduced in 2019 to replace the 'UGC List of approved journals' and serve as a reference for researchers and institutions to identify quality journals for publishing their work, ensuring adherence to ethical standards and promoting credible research. As time went on, the UGC CARE List faced many criticisms. Owing to many such criticisms, the list was withdrawn in February 2025, and a new set of suggestive parameters for peer-reviewed journals has been introduced. The paper discusses whether abolishing the list and introducing a set of suggestive parameters will risk the maintenance of ethical standards in academic research or lead to reforms in research. Read More Read Less

Abstract The primary objective of this study is to explore and assess the research visibility of agricultural scientists in India, with a specific focus on their engagement with academic social networking platforms, particularly ResearchGate (RG). In an era where digital presence significantly influences scholarly communication and collaboration, this study aims to investigate how agricultural scientists disseminate their research and engage with the wider academic community... The primary objective of this study is to explore and assess the research visibility of agricultural scientists in India, with a specific focus on their engagement with academic social networking platforms, particularly ResearchGate (RG). In an era where digital presence significantly influences scholarly communication and collaboration, this study aims to investigate how agricultural scientists disseminate their research and engage with the wider academic community through their RG profiles. The scope of the study is limited to three prominent agricultural universities in Karnataka, India: The University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Bengaluru; the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Dharwad; and the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Raichur. The analysis was confined to faculty members who had active profiles on ResearchGate. Data accuracy was based on information available at the time of collection, and no subsequent updates or modifications to RG profiles were taken into account. To initiate data collection, the names and designations of faculty members were obtained from the official websites of the respective universities. A systematic search was then conducted on ResearchGate to identify faculty members with registered profiles. These individuals were categorised by academic rank (Assistant Professor,Associate Professor, and Professor) and departmental affiliation. Their profiles were examined to extract key scientometric indicators, including the number of publications, full text uploads, citation counts, Hindex, followers, followings, Research Interest (RI) Score, and participation in academic discussions. All collected data were organised using Microsoft Excel and subjected to descriptive statistical analysis. The purpose was to evaluate the extent of faculty members' research visibility, productivity, and academic engagement on RG. Additionally, institutions, departments, and individual researchers were ranked using quantifiable metrics such as the RI Score, H-index, and overall research output. Of the 416 faculty members across the three universities, 215 (51.68%) had created RG profiles, indicating a moderate but growing trend in the adoption of academic social networking tools for research visibility. Collectively, these faculty members uploaded 4,991 research documents to the platform, averaging approximately 11.99 documents per individual. S. Ramesh from UAS Bengaluru emerged as the most prolific author, with 154 publications accounting for 9.94% of his university's total uploads, demonstrating outstanding individual productivity. An analysis of publication types revealed that journal articles overwhelmingly dominated the content, representing 83.85% (4,185) of total uploads. This indicates a strong preference for peer-reviewed literature, which plays a central role in enhancing academic visibility and citation impact. Other formats, such as datasets (5.36%), conference papers (4.6%), and book chapters (2.6%), were also present, albeit in smaller proportions, suggesting some diversification in scholarly communication. Among the institutions studied, UAS Dharwad ranked highest in total publications (2,638) and recommendations (2,128), reflecting substantial research output and community engagement. The H-index analysis further reinforced this standing, with UAS Dharwad scoring the highest (471), even when adjusted for self-citations (459). It also led to social engagement metrics with 3,821 followers and 3,071 following, indicating strong academic networking and visibility among peers. Read More Read Less

Abstract The evaluation of higher education institutions (HEIs) increasingly depends on the availability of comprehensive, high-quality datasets that enable transparent, reproducible analysis. This study examines the roles of two major Indian data infrastructures Manupatra and INFLIBNET in supporting data driven evaluation of higher education institutions. Manupatra provides extensive legal resources, including more than 1,100 central acts, case laws, and judicial records, enabling the assessment of... The evaluation of higher education institutions (HEIs) increasingly depends on the availability of comprehensive, high-quality datasets that enable transparent, reproducible analysis. This study examines the roles of two major Indian data infrastructures Manupatra and INFLIBNET in supporting data driven evaluation of higher education institutions. Manupatra provides extensive legal resources, including more than 1,100 central acts, case laws, and judicial records, enabling the assessment of legal research productivity and judicial impact. INFLIBNET, through platforms such as Shodhganga, e-ShodhSindhu, and IndCat, aggregates academic and bibliometric data comprising over 600,000 theses, 7,200 journals, and more than 16.5 million bibliographic records. Using authenticated datasets from these repositories, this study analyses ten major Indian HEIs to evaluate research productivity, resource allocation, and legal influence. A standardised analytical framework is employed to integrate legal and bibliographic datasets, using research output indices, citation counts, and infrastructure indicators. The findings reveal distinct productivity patterns between multidisciplinary/STEM institutions and lawfocused universities. While leading universities such as IIT Delhi and IISc Bangalore demonstrate strong research output, law focused institutions such as NLSIU Bangalore and NLU Delhi exhibit greater legal impact as reflected in judicial citations. The analysis highlights the importance of open access initiatives,standardised metadata, and interdisciplinary approaches for comprehensive evaluation of higher education. Persistent challenges include limited data accessibility, inconsistent metadata standards, and the underrepresentation of non traditional research outputs. Policy recommendations emphasise improved data interoperability, expansion of open access frameworks, and alignment with international metadata standards to enhance the global competitiveness of Indian higher education. Read More Read Less