IMPHAL, March 25: The issue of plagiarism in the theses submitted by research scholars in the Hindi Department of Manipur University has reached the High Court of Manipur.
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) case was filed at the High Court of Manipur by petitioner Khaidem Jacko Meitei, an advocate by profession.
The PIL which was admitted by the court on March 23 had its hearing today as case No 3 in the cause list.
The respondents of the case are Union of India represented by Secretary, Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD), 127-C, Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi-110001; University Grant Commission (UGC) represented by the Chairman, UGC, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi; Manipur University represented by the Registrar, Manipur University, PO-Canchipur, Imphal West District, Manipur and Dr H Subadani Devi, Head of Hindi Department, Manipur University, Canchipur, Manipur.
The hearing of the PIL case was conducted by a division bench of Chief Justice Laxmikanta Mohapatra and Justice Khwairakpam Nobin Singh.
The petitioner prayed the Court to direct the concerned authorities to constitute an independent inquiry committee to look into the irregularities of all PhD theses which were done by the research scholars under the supervision of the respondent No 4 namely Dr H Subadani Devi, Department of Hindi, Manipur University.
Further, he prayed the Court to direct the authorities concerned to constitute independent inquiry committee to investigate or look into all PhD awarded under the guidance of Dr H Subadani Devi once again and if the research works are found to be in plagiarised forms, the doctorate degrees awarded to the scholars may be cancelled.
He prayed the court to call for the record of the criteria for giving promotion to respondent No 4 Dr H Subadani Devi and if she happened to get promotion or wrongfully gain by producing such pseudo-scholars as one or any of the criteria, authorities concerned may be directed to take strict disciplinary as well as criminal legal action against the respondent No 4.
Furthermore, to pass any appropriate orders/direction which the court may deem fit and proper in the facts and circumstances of the cases as the ends of justice may call for.
The respondent No 1 was represented by the Central Government`™s counsel and Manipur University was represented by its counsel BP Sahu, Advocate.
The petitioner has been directed to communicate by registered post to the UGC and Prof Dr H Subadani Devi, Head of Department of Hindi, Manipur University.
The brief facts of the case is that in the doctoral thesis of the research scholars working under Prof Dr H Subadani Devi, Head of Department of Hindi, Manipur University, has revealed mass copying of huge chunks of the subject matter. The professor certified all these plagiarised theses to be the original works of her research scholars.
Her research scholars again copied not only from each other but also from another scholar`™s thesis under the supervision of a different guide.
Today, the Court has directed to all the respondents of the case to file their counter affidavits returnable within four weeks.
The petitioner is represented by Huidrom Kenajit, advocate.