Corruption in Ph D research creates sensation in education field

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The incident of demanding money from a Ph D researcher created a sensation and refreshed past cases of harassing researchers within the jurisdiction of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada Univeristy (Bamu).

It may be noted that four persons including a research guide of Library and Information subject were booked with Begumpura Police Station on Monday for demanding a bribe from a research student for signing documents.

The complainant was doing Ph D research in Library and Information Science subject under the guidance of Dr Eraj Siddiqui, research guide and librarian at Dr Rafiq Zakaria College for Women. The researcher receives a monthly fellowship of Rs 50,400 from the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Research and Training Institute (Mahajyoti).

The lady research guide who draws nearly Rs 3 lakh monthly salary wanted some share in the fellowship of students. She sent her to fix the amount of the bribe. Her son fixed a monthly amount of Rs 10,000 for four years for signing required documents like progress reports and self-declaration.

The Jalna Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) laid a trap after the complaint. The ACB arrested the son of the research guide while accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000 from the researcher.

Box

Incident refreshes past cases

This is not the first case of demanding money or harassing students for money during the last four years. Some of them lost their headship, research guide, or both during this period.

In one such case, an allegation was made against a top officer from the university in 2020 demanding Rs 60,000 for Ph D viva voce. After the court decision, he was reinstated in 2021. A research guide of an English subject demanded money from an international student to sign his final Ph D thesis. This was the second against this guide.

In third case, a research guide of an Education subject faced suspension from the post headship after the university received a complaint demanding Rs 50,000 from the researcher. Other students who face harassment fear lodging a complaint fearing loss of research and time.

Box

Despite high pay, guide ignored ethics : Pro-VC Dr Sarwade

Commenting on this, Pro-vice chancellor Dr Walimik Sarwade said that the university had laid guidelines for the research guides.

“The tainted research guides have hefty salary yet, they were found demanding and ignoring ethics. The administration is serious and takes action promptly. The research students in similar cases are shifted to other guides,” he said. Pro-VC Dr Sarwade said that such incidents malign the image of an institution and teaching fraternity.

Box

University should take strict action

Satyajit Mhaske, a researcher and students union representative said that the harassment of Ph D researchers in colleges and universities is not new.

He said that not all the students talk about the harassment. “A researcher has to struggle a lot if he/she lodges a complaint. It has been seen that Bamu administration doest not take strict action against research guides,” he said while adding that tainted researchers should not be reinstated on the job at any cost.