Chandigarh: Senior faculty, PGIMER "charge-sheeted"

In another case of plagiarism that surfaced at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), the administration has charge sheeted a senior faculty member and head of department, the accused in this case. The said faculty, Head of Parasitology has been given two weeks time to reply to the PGIMER chargesheet.

Last year, three doctors had been charge sheeted in similar cases of plagiarism by the institute’s administration.

“The governing body of the institute had directed to initiate action against four of the accused doctors. Three of them were charge sheeted earlier and another doctor Dr Sehgal was issued a charge sheet on Tuesday,” said a senior PGI official.

The institute would wait for the reply he added. Meanwhile, the process to appoint an inquiry officer in the case is on.

Last year, in the incident of plagiarism, notices were issued to four doctors, including two head of departments, by the then Director, Prof Yogesh Chawla. The Director had been instructed by the governing body to initiate action against the accused doctors.

Subsequently, the administration served notices and three of the doctors were then charge sheeted.

The matter of plagiarism was raised earlier in the governing body of the institute. “Recently, it has been brought to the notice of the PGI administration that some of its faculty members are indulging in unethical practices in research projects…In all, the institute received four complaints by way of media/press reports made by the fellow faculty members,” read the governing body meeting minutes, as reported by the Indian Express.

PGI later formed its own anti-plagiarism rules to curb plagiarism incidents at the institute.All future plagiarism detected is to be discussed by a committee constituted to look into the issue in a time bound manner.