In India's rapidly expanding higher education landscape, where over 1,300 universities and 45,000 colleges serve more than 43 million students, the integrity of research output is under siege. Predatory publishing, a scourge exploiting the 'publish or perish' culture, continues to proliferate despite regulatory efforts and mandatory training. A groundbreaking qualitative study published in Research Evaluation reveals a stark awareness gap among early-career researchers and a profound disconnect in research methodology courses, which fail to equip scholars with practical tools to identify and avoid these deceptive outlets.

This issue strikes at the heart of Indian academia, where publication counts heavily influence PhD completions, faculty promotions, and institutional rankings. With India contributing disproportionately to global predatory publications—estimated at up to 27% in sampled studies—the consequences ripple through university reputations, funding allocations, and the global perception of Indian scholarship. Recent busts, like the 2025 Delhi syndicate selling fabricated PhDs with predatory papers for ₹30,000, underscore the systemic vulnerabilities.

Defining Predatory Publishing: A Threat to Scholarly Integrity

Predatory journals and publishers, first highlighted by librarian Jeffrey Beall in 2007, masquerade as legitimate open-access (OA) outlets. They charge article processing charges (APCs)—often $500–$3,000—while offering sham peer review, fake impact factors, and spam invitations. Unlike reputable OA journals like those in Scopus or Web of Science, predatory ones prioritize profit, publishing substandard or plagiarized work without rigor.

In India, these entities thrive amid explosive publication growth: from 20,000 papers in 2005 to over 200,000 annually by 2025. Private colleges and universities account for 51% of such outputs, driven by API (Academic Performance Indicator) scores tied to sheer volume. The University Grants Commission (UGC) responded with the CARE (Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics) list in 2018, vetting over 15,000 journals, but discontinued it in early 2025 amid criticisms of centralization and infiltration by low-quality titles.

Characteristics include cloned websites mimicking legit journals, broad scopes ('all sciences'), and promises of publication in weeks. A table below contrasts them:

Prevalence and Statistics: India's Dominance in Predatory Outputs

India tops global predatory publication charts. A 2015 analysis found 27% of sampled predatory papers from India; recent bibliometric trends confirm persistence. Retractions surged 287% from 2019–2023, many from predatory sources, prompting NIRF 2025 rankings to penalize them.

• Over 300 predatory publishers operate from India, per 2023 estimates.
• PhD students: 40–50% publish in predatory venues unknowingly.
• Medical fields hardest hit, with flawed studies entering practice.

In LIS research, a case study showed early rampant use declining post-awareness. Yet, 2025 scandals reveal ongoing issues at IITs and state universities.

Awareness Surveys: A Persistent Gap Exposed

Surveys paint a mixed picture. A 2016 study found 57% of researchers unaware; a 2022 dental survey reported 41.25% ignorance. LIS faculties score high (89.6% aware), but early-career scholars lag.

Drivers: Pressure from UGC's quantity-focused promotions, spam emails, and lack of training. Even post-UGC warnings, submissions continue.

The Pivotal Study: Research Methodology Courses' Shortcomings

A 2026 qualitative study in Research Evaluation interviewed 20 early-career Indian researchers, revealing why mandatory PhD research methodology courses fail against predatory threats. Courses cover basics—hypothesis formulation, data analysis—but skip journal selection checklists, Beall's criteria, or red flags like cloned sites.

Participants noted: 'Courses emphasize stats software, not ethical publishing.' Disconnect stems from theoretical focus sans practical simulations. Despite UGC mandates since 2020, curricula remain outdated.

Case Studies from Indian Universities

At private universities like Lovely Professional University (LPU), faculty promotions hinged on predatory pubs until 2024 audits. IIT Delhi faced a 2025 Kashmir paper controversy in a dubious journal. State colleges contribute 51%, per analyses.

Real-world: A Northeast India group exposed systemic predatory use, linking it to metric-driven incentives.

Impacts on Higher Education and Careers

Predatory pubs erode citations (60% get none in 5 years), damage CVs, and invite retractions. Universities lose NIRF points; researchers face blacklisting. Broader: Flawed medical research risks public health.

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Stakeholder Perspectives: From UGC to Faculty

UGC pushes parameters post-CARE: peer-review transparency, no APC coercion. Faculty urge curriculum overhaul; students demand simulations. International views: Nature calls for analytical training.

Solutions and Actionable Insights

• Revamp courses: Add modules on Think.Check.Submit., Beall's List.
• Institutional workshops, library tools like Journal Finder.
• Shift metrics: Emphasize quality, citations over count.
• Funding for OA APCs in legit journals.

Step-by-step avoidance: 1) Verify ISSN on UGC/Scopus. 2) Check editorial board. 3) Test peer review rigor. 4) Avoid unsolicited invites.

Photo by Anwar Hakim on Unsplash

Future Outlook: Towards Ethical Research Ecosystem

With AI detecting paper mills and NIRF penalties, 2026 may see decline. EU-India Horizon collaborations boost integrity. Universities like IIT Madras lead with integrity policies.

Position yourself strongly: Check professor ratings on rate-my-professor, seek advice at higher-ed-career-advice.