In today’s competitive world, incidents of burden of studies upon the students are commonly heard. It is rare to come across on record the cases where the faculty of different streams has been put under a scanner to get published for the Accreditation of the Universities. At the international level, Journal Citation Reports (Thomson Reuters); Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE); Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI); SCOPUS and Web of Science are one the most popular index considered. MedLine; PubMed;  EMBASE; EBSCO Publishing's Electronic Databases;  SCIRUS;  Caspur; DOAJ; Expanded Academic ASAP;  Genamics Journal Seek; Hinari; Index Copernicus;  Open J Gate; Primo Central;  Pro Quest;  SCOLOAR;  SIIC databases;  Summon by Serial Solutions, Ulrichi’s International Periodical Directory etc are also prominent indexation services. Amongst these, the indexing is different for Applied Sciences and Social Sciences. All over the world, the best higher educational institutions encourage quality research and publications in the journals indexed in the above services. Until, the Faculty and Research Scholars are conducting the research without pressure, there is no harm in chasing good publications. Unfortunately, the globalisation and commercialisation of education has changed the scene. The research is no longer for the purpose of own academic excellence and gratification, rather forced externally.

The absence of proper knowledge regarding how to research and how to materialize the research into a paper has to be countered amidst the young scholars and academicians in different parts of the world. This is the time to acknowledge the degree of contrast and inequality in the nature of education imparted in developed and developing countries as well as with the country also. Short-cut to research publications does not exist. The course to reach an internationally acclaimed publication is long. In India, over the last years, University Grants Commission, the apex regulatory body for higher education in India has brought changes in the scheme of promotions for the Faculties of Colleges and Universities. As per U.G.C.’s existing norms, U.G.C. Care List is the latest development. Before 2015, the requirement was confined to publication in any Journal, then it got replaced by U.G.C. List and in June 2019, the Care List came into being. Both the U.G.C. List and U.G.C. Care List are not permanent. Any Journal may be added or removed from them. For the Faculties of the Government or the public sector, the key to academic promotions is having publications in List of journals. The private Universities have begun the tendency to push their Faculties across all disciplines to publish research papers in the international Indexed Journals. The question often asked during the interview of the Private University is regarding a SCOPUS or Web of Science publication. The rush continues and exists while in employment for continual requirement for research publications. Peer-Reviewed Journals have cropped up in the market of academic publications. On browsing the internet, one can come across hundreds of international peer-reviewed Journals.

No matter, whether the Faculty has not ever authored any research paper or not. Stress and the mental pressure perpetuate amongst the academicians. The whole approach to seek quality research for economic gains in terms of international admissions and possibility of Memorandum of Understandings with foreign Universities is incorrect. Academicians need to be treated with compassion. Their rights have to be recognised by providing an atmosphere to learn and grow. Time is not far when the dismal examples of academicians failing to cope up with stress would become common. University Grants Commission in its surge of keeping a check upon the predatory Journals and reforming the system of Academic Promotions has brought unwanted strain in the community of academicians. The competition has led to ache of inability to publish on time or failure to publish at all. As a new-born turns into toddler, slowly starts learning the alphabets and finally starts to speak properly. Similarly, a fresh academician has only the experience of completing his Masters’ work. He may not have groomed and polished for writing. Expecting a young mind to have the expertise to publish in SCOPUS or Web of Science Journal is definitely not wise. Let him take time with publishing small articles in local magazines, move to U.G.C. Care List and over the years learn to draft a paper for these highly demanding journals. The goal of excellence should not be replaced by the greed of recognition at the cost of causing avoidable trouble in the lives of precious community of academicians.