In the dynamic landscape of global academia, the pursuit of knowledge is both a noble endeavor and a challenging battlefield, where integrity often contends with systemic pressures. The Illusory Index: Indian Academia and the Shadow of Predatory and Clone Journals emerges from a deep concern for the erosion of academic integrity within India's vast and ambitious scholarly ecosystem. As Indian academia strives to cement its place on the global stage, the proliferation of predatory and clone journals-entities that exploit the pressures of "publish or perish" for financial gain-poses a significant threat to the credibility and quality of Indian research. This book is a clarion call to confront this insidious challenge, not merely through condemnation but through a rigorous, evidence-based analysis of its roots, manifestations, and consequences.