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Deccan Herald
02-08-2025
- Science
- Deccan Herald
Why Indian academic research needs a rethink
Indian higher education has significantly transformed in recent years, with academic institutions increasingly emphasising research output, global visibility and competitive rankings. Central to this is the surge in publication activity across public and private universities. From 26,664 in 2001, the number of faculty publications shot up to 99,411 in 2011, and 3,70,595 in pressure to publish in indexed journals, particularly those listed in Scopus and the Web of Science (WoS), has fostered a culture of productivity reckoned in numerical terms that is indifferent to critical inquiry, theoretical originality, and ethical 2020 and 2025, 335 questionable journals were removed by Scopus to preserve research integrity. New Scopus indexed sources were also added: 143 from February 2023 to June 2025, including 57 in June alone. Indian universities continue to prioritise publication counts with serious implications for the credibility and future of research across various to gain: How India can retain its in numbersBetween January 2020 and May 2025, India contributed 16,18,824 papers to Scopus-indexed journals — the highest in the world, ahead of academic powerhouses such as the United States and the United Kingdom, and emerging superpower China. This surge reflects India's expanding research base, increased institutional pressure to publish, and growth in academic publishing ranks third in total research output but only around 19th in H-index, which measures the productivity and impact of research publications. The H-index for Indian publications was 925 in 2024: 71.21% lower than US publications whose H-index is 3,213. This highlights the need to shift policy and academic focus towards enhancing research quality, citation impact, and international collaboration. Australia (H-index: 1,475; 2.1 million published documents) and the Netherlands (H-index:1,471; 1.4 million published documents) have far higher H-index figures than India which published 3.3 million documents. This indicates better average impact per only a negligible number of these Indian-origin papers were among the most cited in their analysis of retracted Indian publications found their numbers per year had increased mainly due to errors, plagiarism, and ethical concerns such as duplicate publication. The situation also extends to entire over qualityCurrently, only 12 Indian journals are categorised as Quartile 1 (Q1) — among the top 25% in their category —I n the Scimago database. This highlights Indian institutions' inability to sustain journals that meet international standards of editorial rigour, peer review, and citation impact. Further, the data indicates that most journals originating in India occupy Quartile 3 (Q3) and Quartile 4 (Q4) positions — the bottom half in their categories. Such journals tend to have limited visibility, weak influence, and insufficient scholarly increase in publication numbers should translate into knowledge production and its dissemination. That does not seem to be happening. Instead, the prevailing academic environment in India has turned research publication into a bureaucratic hurdle, rather than an intellectual pursuit. Faculty promotions, salary increments, and institutional funding are frequently tied to journal publications indexed in Scopus or WoS. While such metrics are intended to ensure accountability and global competitiveness, in practice, they are incentivising a utilitarian approach. Article publication has become about fulfilling quantifiable benchmarks, with little regard for the depth, relevance, critical thinking, or originality of the work produced.A 2024 study found that the pressure to publish has led many scholars to engage in plagiarism, data fabrication, and salami-slicing, the slicing of research for one paper into multiple publications to inflate numbers. Plagiarism, both of external sources and self-plagiarism — reusing one's own published work without attribution to make it appear new — is increasingly normalised under the pretext of expediency. Data fabrication and manipulation of research findings are unethical practices that severely undermine research integrity. Similarly, salami slicing further erodes scholarly coherence and intellectual unhealthy practices may increase the overall volume of academic publications, but their impact remains on WestThe poor representation of Indian journals in the top quartile suggests Indian scholars are heavily reliant on foreign publications. However, a 2016 study found these journals often operate with high rejection rates, limited acceptance of region-specific empirical studies, and editorial frameworks that may not fully accommodate perspectives from the Global rejections are particularly common for submissions from India. While editorial selectivity is a necessary component of journal curation, evidence suggests such practices disproportionately affect scholars from developing countries, especially when their work challenges dominant paradigms or employs non-Western theoretical needs a robust indigenous publishing infrastructure that fosters scholarly aptitude. However, many Indian journals suffer from inadequate funding and weak editorial governance. Peer review processes are often inconsistent and compromised by personal networks. Editorial decisions are often driven by considerations other than scholarly the problem is the proliferation of predatory journals in India, which often publish research work for a fee with little or no peer review. In a system where the number of publications is prioritised over their legitimacy or influence, predatory outlets offer a quick and accessible route to meeting performance criteria. The University Grants Commission's (UGC) CARE list had often identified predatory or cloned journals. This significantly aided scholars but the UGC stopped updating the CARE list in October and subsequently announced that it would not update the list any more. Need for holistic approachMoreover, Indian academics largely use books by foreign authors as core reference material in their syllabi. This presents a paradox: Indian scholars publish extensively, yet this knowledge is not adequately acknowledged within academic discourse, especially in higher Indian students are increasingly migrating abroad for higher education to countries such as the US, the UK, and Canada, though these countries' academic contributions are relatively less in terms of publication volume. This further underlines the complex dynamics of perceived quality and academic capital in global academia must fundamentally rethink how research is evaluated, supported, and disseminated. Universities and regulatory bodies must avoid excessive reliance on publication numbers as the primary metric of academic performance. A holistic approach that considers research impact, methodological innovation, and community engagement must be applied. Faculty evaluations should include unbiased qualitative assessments of scholarly contributions, and ethical research practices embedded at every stage of the academic career, from doctoral training to tenure in faculty assessment should include consideration of research relevance, methodological innovation, and impact on policy and society. Focus must be on mandatory ethics training, strict anti-plagiarism mechanisms, fostering indigenous and regional scholarship, and encouraging research in regional languages focused on local contexts and indigenous country must invest in its own publishing ecosystem, including editorial training, peer-review reform, funding for journal sustainability, and collaborations with global publishing networks. Developing rigorous peer review standards can enable credible academic contributions towards the development of indigenous knowledge. These initiatives will help Indian academia reclaim the university as a place of critical thought, ethical engagement, and meaningful and inclusive knowledge MR and Viji B are assistant professors, Department of Economics, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), article was first published under Creative Commons by The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.
Business Standard
04-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Caplin Point Laboratories announces acquisition of Triwin Pharma S.A DE C.V
Through its WoS - Caplin Point Far East, Hong Kong Caplin Point Laboratories announced that the Company's wholly owned Subsidiary Caplin Point Far East, Hong Kong, had executed Share Purchase Agreement dated 03 June 2025 for acquiring the entire stake in Triwin Pharma S.A DE C.V, a Mexican Company. The target company is engaged in marketing and distribution of pharmaceutical products. The acquisition was a strategic decision, as it provides a local partner in Mexicoenabling participation in government tenders and also supporting the establishment of a stock-and-sale model, in line with our successful strategy in other LATAM markets.
Time of India
09-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Japan's SMBC to buy 20% in Yes Bank
Image used for representative purposes MUMBAI: Five years after a group of Indian lenders led by SBI stepped in to rescue Yes Bank, Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) will acquire a 20% stake in the private lender for Rs 13,483 crore, making it the largest shareholder. The deal, India's biggest cross-border banking investment, marks a shift in ownership of the bank once run by veteran banker Rana Kapoor. Kapoor lost control in 2020 after the bank nearly collapsed due to bad loans, which wiped out its net worth. RBI then mandated a reconstruction scheme under which eight Indian banks took equity stakes. SBI will now sell a 13.2% stake, cutting its holding to just over 10%. ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Axis Bank, IDFC First Bank, Federal Bank, and Bandhan Bank will offload a combined 6.8%. Operation Sindoor PM Modi meets NSA, chiefs of armed forces amid spike in tensions with Pak India's air defence systems shoot down Pak drones in J&K, Punjab & Rajasthan Several airports in India to be closed till May 15 - check list The deal is priced at Rs 21.5 per share, above the recent market price and more than double what the rescuing banks invested. SMBC, a unit of Japan's second-largest bank by assets, will become Yes Bank's anchor investor after securing regulatory and shareholder approvals. The deal may reshape the bank's strategy and comes amid SMBC's broader push into Asia. Its parent, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, has $2 trillion in assets and recently took full ownership of its Indian NBFC arm, SMFG India Credit (formerly Fullerton). SMFG sees India as a counterweight to Japan's ageing population and low growth. The firm is betting on India's demographics and macroeconomic momentum. On May 6, after reports of SMBC's interest, Yes Bank denied knowledge of any unannounced developments, causing shares to erase a 10% gain. The stock again surged 10% on Friday ahead of the announcement. Banking industry observers are waiting to see if SMBC takes the wholly-owned subsidiary (WoS) route in Yes Bank. In the past, both DBS and State Bank of Mauritius used the WoS route to acquire a local banking licence. Most large foreign banks operate as branches and need permission to open new ones. SMBC will also have to deal with a bank that has a bloated equity base, following massive capital infusions. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
The Independent
06-02-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Watches of Switzerland ‘confident' after strong festive season
Rolex retailer Watches of Switzerland has hailed a robust festive season for the group as it cheered further signs of a recovery in the luxury watches and jewellery market. The London-listed group said it had seen 'further stabilisation' of the market in the UK thanks to 'good' trading over the crucial festive quarter to January 26. It comes after a difficult past couple of years, which saw cost-of-living pressures knock discretionary spending on luxury goods. Watches of Switzerland (WoS) – the UK's biggest seller of Rolex and Omega watches which has 221 showrooms across Britain, the US and Europe – said the American market has also seen 'continued momentum'. WoS said: 'Given our trading performance over the first nine months of the fiscal year, visibility of supply in both markets, certainty on the timing of key showroom openings, and expectations of new product launches, we remain confident in delivering our 2024-25 guidance.' WoS is expanding significantly into the US market, which it hopes will soon make up half of all group sales. It is integrating its recent Robert Coin acquisition in the US while increasing showroom stock levels in America and looking to open new stores in the country. In the UK, the group is set to open its flagship Rolex boutique in Old Bond Street in London, which it hopes will be a 'major destination for Rolex in the UK market' Retail expert David Hughes at Shore Capital said: 'Given the worsening views on the economic outlook of the UK, and a number of recent profit downgrades from retailers following a softer seasonal period, a report of good trading and maintained 2024-25 guidance should reassure.'
