Row at PGI over medical paper listing school student as co-author

Chandigarh: A high-impact paper published in a prestigious international journal this year has sparked a controversy over scientific misconduct at the nation's premier medical research body, PGI. At the centre of the dispute is the inclusion of a co-author, who was said to be a Class IX student when the paper was published. The paper, a complex systematic review and network meta-analysis was published in the journal, Anaesthesia (2025). The research analysed data from over 1,000 adult surgical patients and offered optimal medical treatment guidelines, concluding that intravenous dexamethasone is most effective in preventing severe "rebound pain" following peripheral nerve block.According to sources, the inclusion of a school-aged student as co-author on such a technical, data-intensive scientific work has triggered widespread outrage within the institution.Sources close to the institute revealed that the paper lists three authors who are from the same family, suggesting a case of "honorary authorship," where credit is given without genuine intellectual contribution. For a meta-analysis, which demands advanced knowledge of statistical methods, database searching, and critical appraisal, such a contribution from a high school student is considered highly implausible.Dr S K Jindal, Emeritus Professor at PGI, described the issue as "obviously scandalous, requiring investigations," and demanded that the authors be questioned. Dr Jindal said, "Each author is morally and legally responsible for the veracity of a research publication. Journal editors are usually not aware about the status of individual authors. They go by the designations mentioned in the submitted papers. One can always hide the exact position of a co-author and the role he or she has played."Prof Amod Gupta, former dean, research, acknowledged that corresponding authors sometimes seek assistance from young individuals for "labour-intensive" tasks. The PGI administration is yet to issue any official comment on the matter.However, he conceded that listing the student as a co-author is "somewhat unusual," adding that the student "may be exceptionally gifted to be included as a co-author on the paper."Senior faculty members said the allegations raise serious questions about research integrity and adherence to international ethical guidelines, which mandate that all authors must have made a significant intellectual contribution to the work.The PGI administration is yet to issue an official statement on the issue.