DU sets up Departmental Academic Integrity Panel to check plagiarism and academic integrity

The composition of the Departmental Academic Integrity Panel has been approved by Delhi University. The panel will look into issues concerning plagiarism and academic integrity. This comes in after the allegations of plagiarism against principals of two DU colleges. The varsity is already probing complaints against Zakir Hussain College Principal Masroor Ahmad Beg and Dyal Singh College (Evening) Principal Pawan Sharma.

The plagiarism accusations

The Departmental Academic Integrity Panel was brought into consideration by the Delhi University varsity after accusations of plagiarism against principals of two DU colleges came into light. The complaint signed by several current and former academic council and executive council members was sent on June 20, 2020. 

Members of the Indian National Teachers’ Congress and Delhi University academic council submitted their complaints to the UGC chairman and DU vice-chancellor Yogesh Tyagi against both the Principals. It has been alleged that Masroor Ahmad Beg has plagiarized several papers. Many papers have been copied from the work of Sukhadeo Thorat, a noted economist, and a former UGC chairperson to get promoted from the current designation. Beg is also alleged to have plagiarized a paper of Dr. Rakhi Gupta and Divya Gupta Choudhary.

About the panel

In a notification issued by Delhi University’s official website on 16th September 2020, the varsity said,“This is to bring to your kind notice that the Competent Authority of the University has approved the composition of the Departmental Academic Integrity Panel (DAIP) as per UGC (promotion of academic integrity and prevention of plagiarism in higher educational institutions) Regulations, 2018.”

“All the College Principals are hereby informed that the matters concerning Plagiarism and Academic Integrity may be sent to the concerned departments for processing,” it added. Earlier, in its efforts to strengthen India’s research ecosystem and to ensure its credibility at par with international standards, the University Grants Commission (UGC) had released a circular to address self-plagiarism across Indian academic institutions. 

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