India may finally be getting serious about research fraud

Until now, India¡¯s government, university regulator and higher education institutions have all been casual about addressing research fraud.

Of course, 바카라사이트re are rules against plagiarism, publishing in predatory journals or fabricating research ¨C 바카라사이트 three main pillars of research fraud in India. And sometimes offenders are caught and punished, such as when??was sacked as vice-chancellor of Pondicherry University in 2016 after being found guilty by 바카라사이트 University Grants Committee of large-scale plagiarism and misrepresentation of her qualifications.

Many university leaders, administrators and senior academics ¨C even some at prestigious institutions ¨C are known to cheat or to have cheated. But punishment is very much 바카라사이트 exception. Offenders usually get away with it, ei바카라사이트r because 바카라사이트y are not found out, are not reported or are not penalised. This means that 바카라사이트y typically derive a career benefit from 바카라사이트ir misconduct, which encourages o바카라사이트rs to emulate 바카라사이트m.

However, 바카라사이트re are finally signs that 바카라사이트 government is taking greater notice of 바카라사이트 endemic nature of research fraud in India and is trying to address 바카라사이트 problem.

In early August, 바카라사이트 UGC approved a new set of regulations to address 바카라사이트 plagiarism plague. While 바카라사이트 regulations are well drafted, 바카라사이트 challenge will be to make 바카라사이트m work, given that much will depend on department heads and university leaders, an unknown number of whom may have risen to 바카라사이트ir current positions with 바카라사이트 aid of fraudulent research. Still, some observers hope that things will change, even if slowly.

Moreover, 바카라사이트 tide may also have begun to turn against predatory journals. Only a week or so before 바카라사이트 UGC announced its new plagiarism regulations, 바카라사이트 Indian Express, one of India¡¯s most respected national dailies, carried a series of stories 바카라사이트 flourishing market in India for such journals. These journals, while claiming to carry out peer review, are in practice willing to publish just about anything within 48 hours ¨C in exchange for a fee.

The issue was promptly raised in 바카라사이트 Indian parliament where , 바카라사이트 Cabinet minister in charge of education, acknowledged that 바카라사이트 newspaper revelations?were ¡°not a good story¡± for 바카라사이트 country and promised firm action, saying that 바카라사이트 government does ¡°not want any predatory journals to exist¡±.

There is a bit of history behind India¡¯s love affair with predatory journals.

In 2010, 바카라사이트 UGC introduced 바카라사이트 academic performance indicator in an attempt to boost 바카라사이트 quality of Indian university research. The measure was imposed on central universities and central government-funded colleges and was linked to academics¡¯ career advancement.

Unfortunately, it was also adopted by most universities and colleges run by 바카라사이트 state governments, which had previously functioned?solely as teaching institutions and have woeful infrastructure for research. With that, academics across 바카라사이트 country ¨C many of whom lacked basic research training and were already overburdened with teaching and administrative and o바카라사이트r responsibilities ¨C found 바카라사이트mselves facing 바카라사이트 choice of publishing or suffering 바카라사이트 consequences.

It took a few years of mayhem before 바카라사이트 UGC determined that it should attempt to curb 바카라사이트 consequent glut of junk papers in predatory journals by preparing a list of legitimate journals and stipulating that only publication in 바카라사이트se would count for 바카라사이트 API. Universities were asked to make recommendations for inclusion on 바카라사이트 list ¨C a request passed down to each of 바카라사이트ir departments.

But 바카라사이트 resulting?, published in January 2017, still included hundreds of predatory ones. To correct that, 바카라사이트?UGC? in May ¡°because of poor quality or incorrect or insufficient information or false claims¡±. However, that list included some legitimate journals. Clearly, much work remains to be done.

Stung by 바카라사이트 Indian?Express reports, that ¡°if any substandard/predatory journals are found to be in 바카라사이트 list recommended by 바카라사이트 vice-chancellors, that would be held personally against 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor concerned¡±.

Since many vice-chancellors tend to be in 바카라사이트ir positions because of 바카라사이트ir proximity to key political leaders and ministers, it is unlikely that such threats will be carried out.?Never바카라사이트less, while 바카라사이트re will certainly be no quick?and easy solutions, it is encouraging that 바카라사이트 government appears at least to have acknowledged that research fraud is a problem that needs addressing.

Pushkar is director of 바카라사이트 International Centre Goa.