Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The administration of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University has decided to withdraw Ph D of a researcher over plagiarism in the thesis.
For the first time, Ph D degree will be withdrawn in 65 years history of the university.
It may be noted that Kishor Nivrutti Dhabe obtained Ph D in Political Science on tribal leadership and implementation of welfare schemes for tribals of Kinvat tehsil from Bamu a decade ago.
Purushottam Ramteke submitted a complaint to vice-chancellor Dr Pramod Yeole about the plagiarism with evidence.
In the complaint, it was also stated that the researcher copied matter from the Ph D thesis of Dr Maruti Tegumpura and one Deshmukh.
On the basis of the complaint, the university administration constituted the Department Academic Integrated Panel (DAIP) comprising Dr Dharmaraj Veer, Dr Shuja Shake and Dr Mrudul Nile.
The IAI Panel submitted the report stating that the researcher has copied 51 per cent of content from other Ph D holders' thesis.
Later, the university set up another five-member- Institutional Academic Integrated Panel (IAIP)
led by Pro vice-chancellor Dr Shyam Shirsath and it probed the matter. The enquiry report of this panel stated that there is 65 per cent plagiarism.
The Management and Academic Councils resolved to accept the panels' reports and permitted the administration to withdraw the degree.
A hearing was held at Raj Bhavan last month before the Governor and chancellor of the universities Ramesh Bais. Pro-VC Dr Shirsath, deputy registrar Dr Ganesh Manza and Law Officer Kishor Naade, on behalf of Bamu, were present.
Governor Ramesh Bais approved the decision of the university administration to withdraw the degree through a letter. Under secretary of Rajbhavan Vikas Kulkarni sent the letter to the university.
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Commenting on this, VC Dr Pramod Yeole said that the norms related to academic quality and basic infrastructure were implemented strictly during the last four years. He said efforts are being to maintain the research quality and standard as per the directives of the University Grants Commission.
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Plagiarism serious matter
“Plagiarism in research is a very serious matter and researchers should take its note. The education field has impacts of such types of incidents. The researchers should do research very seriously and present exact facts and conclusions,” he added.