“Award of PhD degree based on gross plagiarism and obsolete research work in violation of statues with sole aim of personal laddering in career will diminish stature of Jammu University striving to niche name as eminent institute of learning & Research work”
JAMMU: Quality in research work is considered as the foundation stone of excellence in education for institution of higher learning. But, it has suffered a major casualty in the University of Jammu where recent allegations of cut paste, plagiarism and personal predilection in award of Ph.D degrees to some candidates have raised eyebrows over the authenticity of this time consuming cumbersome exercise.
Interestingly, while the recent storm surrounding allegations of a female faculty member of Law Department pertaining to award of Ph.D to some ineligible candidate along with serious allegations and complaints of Teachers and Ph.D Students of Department of Education yet not settled, the Jammu University have courted another controversy where hectic endeavours are underway to award Ph.D degree to a scholar in violation of laid down statues besides deliberately over looking questionable and obsolete contents of thesis that too after the expiry of the tenure of Ph.D award.
The case in point is thesis work of Nishant Gupta who was registered as a full time research scholar in the year 2011 under the guidance of Prof. Shubhnandan Singh Jamwal of Computer Science Department in Jammu University. If sources are believed, the then HoD Computer Science Prof. Lalit Sen as well as the guide of scholar are over enthusiastically pressing for award of PhD degree to Nishant Gupta whose thesis work on IT-ICT fails to meet submission criteria despite lapse of 10 years.
Prior to submitting the thesis through proper channel, the registered scholar required to go through pre submission stage where the panel scrutinized the research work through presentation in a seminar.
However, Nishant, couldn’t justify his thesis work at pre submission stage in 2014 which prompted the panel of experts with recommendations for improvement and fulfill the visible shortcomings in thesis work, told JU sources.
The scholar instead of improving it’s thesis work “disappears” and resurfaced in the JU after a gap of nearly 5 years in 2019. Consequently, Prof. Jamwal initiated the process for award of PhD to his scholar which raised objections from certain quarters owing to absence of regular scholar for such a long time and relevance of the topic of thesis. However in spite of the objections, the then HoD Prof. Lalit Sen allowed the candidate to submit the thesis without waiting for the completion of final approval.
It’s learnt that the scholar of Prof. Jamwal went abroad without any intimation to the University. After regular deliberations, the candidate was given a chance to appear in pre submission seminar in Oct 2019 but again he preferred to skip it and disappear.
“The innovation and research in IT sector is considerably rapid. Thus, the topic which was picked up in 2011 have lost its relevance in 2021 as there is advanced research happened much beyond the scope of research work which was allotted to scholar Nishant Gupta” said a research scholar of JU.
Moreover, as a regular scholar Nishant Gupta remained untraceable in JU for a long period of more than 6 years and thus his registration needs to be cancelled as regular scholar, avers another research scholar.
Merely for claiming credits for personal laddering in career, the guide and HoD have join hands and pushing the thesis work of scholar “forcibly” for submission and acceptance in contrast to the JU rules and regulations, said a member of JUTA.
The University statutes clearly states that a registered regular scholar must submit his/her thesis after 3 years and extensions is granted 2 years in case the progress of research work is 50 % (40% for women/specially able candidate) and the case is duly recommended by the Dean Research Committee (DRC).
“Extension beyond 5 years will be granted only to those scholars whose research work is 80% and above (60% for women/specially able candidate). All such scholars require submitting the thesis within 1 year from date of extension. The total period of PhD shall remain 6 years whereas the female and specially able candidates can submit their thesis up to maximum of 8 years” read the Jammu University statutes.
The varsity also states that if a student joins service (Govt/pvt) after the completion of minimum period of PhD (3 years), then immediately the candidate is required getting his status converted from whole time to part time by the Board of Research Studies, on the recommendation of DRC. But Surprisingly in the present case the candidate remains untraced for almost 5 years without bothering for conversion etc.
“Distribution of PhD degrees to candidates in violation of statutes besides lacking substances in thesis work certainly going to undermine the quality of education in institution of higher learning” said a teacher of JU.
The Vice-Chancellor is the custodian of varsity and must ensure elimination of wrong precedent in research work which if allow to prosper will diminish the varsity image, he added.
When JKGN tried to contact the then HoD of computer science Prof. Lalit Sen who submitted the thesis of Nishant Gupta in violation of rules and regulations, he remain illusive on the issue.
However, Reliable sources in JU told JKGN that Vice-chancellor Prof. Manoj Kumar Dhar is fully aware of this issue and not satisfy with the quality of research work.