The NISCAIR/NIScPR Journals Portal serves as a unified digital platform for disseminating India’s scientific, technological, and scholarly outputs to the global research community. Established under the aegis of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the portal was initially managed by the National Institute of Science Communication and Information Resources (NISCAIR). Following an institutional restructuring in 2021, NISCAIR merged with the National Institute of Science, Technology and Development Studies (NISTADS) to form the National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (NIScPR). The portal thus continues its mission under the new institutional identity, maintaining continuity while strengthening its commitment to open-access science communication.
The primary purpose of the NISCAIR/NIScPR Journals Portal is to provide free and open access to peer-reviewed research articles published across CSIR’s scientific journals. It functions as a knowledge dissemination hub that bridges the gap between Indian researchers and the global scientific community. The portal promotes the principles of open science, ensuring that publicly funded research reaches a wide audience without financial or institutional barriers.
Furthermore, the portal aligns with India’s vision of self-reliance in scientific communication, fostering greater visibility for Indian research outputs in international academic networks. It supports scientists, scholars, and policymakers by providing reliable, quality-assured, and accessible information that contributes to informed decision-making and technological progress.
The NISCAIR Journals Portal was officially launched in 2014 as part of CSIR’s initiative to create a centralised and open-access repository for its journals. This move was consistent with global trends in open scholarly communication and reflected India’s growing emphasis on digital dissemination of scientific knowledge.
Following the merger that led to the formation of NIScPR in 2021, the portal underwent restructuring and expansion to integrate newer journals, improve digital accessibility, and enhance metadata interoperability. The transition also marked a strategic shift towards incorporating policy-relevant research and fostering collaborations between scientists, educators, and policymakers.
Over time, the portal has evolved into a robust platform that hosts more than 20 peer-reviewed journals covering disciplines such as chemical sciences, life sciences, materials research, traditional medicine, information science, and engineering. Its sustained growth highlights India’s commitment to advancing open-access publishing and fostering global engagement through digital scholarship.