PAU profs accused of plagiarism exonerated

LUDHIANA: The Vice Chancellor, Punjab Agricultural University, Dr K S Aulakh in a statement has given a clean chit to the three professors charged for lifting data from a student’s thesis without due acknowledgment to her work.
The TNN on 9th November 2003 had exposed the three senior professors of the Punjab Agricultural University for directly lifting the work of one student, Meena Rani, and for having used it as their own, including the title and the tables in an article published in a book.
Interestingly, the Vice Chancellor had marked an inquiry with the Dean, College of Basic Sciences & Humanities, Dr A P S Mann then, despite the fact that Mann had himself edited the work of the three professors.
The inquiry has now exonerated the three, Dr G S Nanda, Dr A K Saxena, and Dr Sunita Sharma of the charges. The inquiry report as per a statement issued by the Vice Chancellor lucidly narrates that the student had in fact herself exonerated the teachers of any charges, stating the three had helped her gather the data, and had every right to use it for their own means and ends.
On the other hand, a little bit of investigation reveals that the three were hardly involved with the student, Meena Rani''s work in any way.
Dr Saxena was a minor advisor, when she worked on her project in 1995-96. Her major advisor was Dr K L Sehgal, who is not party to one of the three accused. Dr G S Nanda, head of the Plant Breeding department then, and Dr Sunita Sharma, who was posted at the Sugarcane research center at Jalandhar in those years have no links with the student what so ever.
Dr A P S Mann, who submitted the report, when reached for comments said his report was an official document, which he cannot reveal. He categorically stated that he would not like to comment on the matter, when asked about the three professors lack of association with the students regarding her work.
Meanwhile history reveals that such case in the past has been dealt differently. Two years back a student, Sandeep Kakkar, who had lifted the data of another PhD student for his project work without due acknowledgements was dealt by the sitting PAU administration most stringently. Kakkar was not only expelled from the University, and his already awarded degree nullified, but also the University had written to all the leading Universities of the region to bar his admission to their respective organizations.
The present Vice Chancellor had not stopped at this. Kakkar’s major advisor, Dr M S Saimbhi of Vegetable department was forced to seek premature retirement.
The different yardstick adopted by the authorities in dealing with the two cases of brazenly lifting other people''s work, and claiming it as one''s own leave a question mark in the present inquiry conducted.