Editorial Independence Policy

The Indian Journal of Climate & Environmental Studies (IJCEMS) upholds the highest standards of editorial independence, integrity, and transparency.
All editorial decisions—whether regarding acceptance, revision, or rejection—are made solely based on academic merit, originality, and relevance to the journal’s scope.
No external influence—be it institutional, financial, or personal—affects the editorial or peer-review process.

1. Independence of Editorial Board

The Editor-in-Chief, Associate Editors, and Editorial Board Members operate independently from the management and publishers.
Their primary responsibility is to:

• Evaluate manuscripts on scholarly merit and ethical standards, without bias.
  
  

• Ensure the journal remains a neutral platform for research dissemination, free from political, institutional, or commercial influence.
  
  

• Safeguard the academic freedom of both authors and reviewers.
  
  

2. No Institutional or Sponsor Interference

IJCEMS is owned and operated under the Nirmaya Foundation as an independent academic initiative.
However, the Foundation, its trustees, or affiliated universities do not influence editorial decisions in any form.
Editorial workflows, review outcomes, and publication priorities are completely autonomous and guided solely by academic and ethical criteria.

3. Transparency in Processes

To ensure operational independence and transparency, IJCEMS:

• Uses a fully transparent, email-based submission and communication system via 📧 ijces.india@gmail.com — without any login portals or hidden processes.
  
  

• Does not use third-party or paid editorial systems that may compromise privacy or influence decisions.
  
  

• Publishes accepted papers and journal information openly through Google Sites and Google Drive, ensuring that all updates, archives, and records remain freely accessible and auditable.
  
  

4. Peer Review Autonomy

Editors are responsible for selecting qualified, independent reviewers based on subject expertise and ethical standing.
Reviewers are not influenced by any author, institution, or sponsor.
All reviews are conducted under a double-blind model, where the identities of both authors and reviewers are kept confidential to ensure fairness and objectivity.

5. Handling of Conflicts of Interest

All editorial board members and reviewers are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest before handling a manuscript.
If a conflict exists (e.g., personal, financial, or institutional connection), the manuscript is reassigned to another editor.
Authors must also declare potential conflicts when submitting their work.

6. Editorial Decisions

Decisions to accept, revise, or reject manuscripts are based strictly on:

• The manuscript’s originality, clarity, and scientific rigor.
  
  

• The relevance of the research to the field of climate and environmental studies.
  
  

• The quality of data, methodology, and conclusions.
  
  

Editorial judgments are not influenced by:

• The author’s institutional affiliation or geographic location.
  
  

• Financial or sponsorship considerations.
  
  

• Race, gender, religion, political beliefs, or personal relationships.
  
  

7. Editorial Freedom and Accountability

Editors are free to make publication decisions but are accountable for their choices.
The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for ensuring all published content meets the journal’s academic and ethical standards.
The editorial team also reserves the right to reject papers that do not align with the journal’s mission or violate its policies.

8. Infrastructure Independence

To preserve editorial freedom, IJCEMS relies exclusively on open and independent digital tools:

• Google Drive for manuscript management and secure document sharing.
  
  

• Google Sites for public access, indexing, and content publishing.
  
  

• Zenodo (operated by CERN) for assigning Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) to accepted papers, ensuring scholarly credibility and permanent accessibility.
  
  

These platforms ensure that IJCEMS remains technically independent, cost-free, and globally accessible—without reliance on paid journal management systems or commercial publishers.

9. Appeals and Complaints

Authors who believe that editorial decisions were influenced or unfairly made may file a formal appeal.
All appeals must be sent to 📧 ijces.india@gmail.com with the subject line “Editorial Independence Appeal – [Paper ID]”.
The appeal will be reviewed by an independent oversight committee within the Foundation’s academic office, which will provide a written decision.

10. Statement of Principle

The editorial board of IJCEMS believes that:

True academic progress can only occur in an environment of freedom, fairness, and transparency. We pledge to uphold editorial independence at all times, ensuring that every published paper reflects genuine, unbiased, and ethical scholarship.

For questions or concerns about editorial procedures, contact:
📧 ijces.india@gmail.com
(Include “Editorial Policy Query” in the subject line along with your paper tracking code, if applicable.)