People's Democracy

UTTARANCHAL

 Academic Scandal Rocks Kumaon University

 Shailendra Pande

 THE tiny hill state of Uttaranchal is currently caught in an academic scandal, with physics professor and Kumaon University vice chancellor B S Rajput, charged with plagiarism, trying to pass the buck to his co-author. On the other hand, physics experts have demanded a probe into the charge and the local academic community is flooding newspapers with more and more on la affaire Rajput and his earlier escapades.

In fact, a new storm is brewing in the Kumaon University with its headquarters at Nainital. The reason is that the central figure, vice chancellor B S Rajput, who had been notorious for targetting select teachers and for his allegiance to the Sangh Parivar, is clearly in the dock. Rajput is facing charges of plagiarism --- not only from inside his own university but by science academics all over the country.

Known to have brooked controversy wherever he worked, the vice chancellor claims to have written 300 research papers and supervised 30 PhDs. This is indeed a unique record by any standards. But his recent joint feat gives him the dubious distinction of lifting in 2002, word for word, what was published way back in 1996 by Professor Renata Kallosh, now in Stanford.

As many as 40 physicists, many from within the university, have charged Rajput with plagiarism. As a result, the professor, known to be close to the union HRD minister Dr Murli Manohar Joshi and one who only recently managed an extension as VC, is in the dock. Some student groups are also pressing for his resignation. Even teachers are in a defiant mood; these include some of his erstwhile friends.

Earlier in the university, the vice chancellor had been accused of making several attempts to terrorise select teachers on his being caught. He was also accused of having been trying to influence appointments in favour of his kith and kin. He also had brief rubs with the Press Council of India as he tried to threaten select presspersons.

Charges of saffronisation too have been made from time to time in the university during his tenure. The vice chancellor is known to bandy his connections in Delhi at the highest level. It may be recalled that Rajput had his share of controversies in the Garhwal region too.

At the Kumaon University at Nainital, even as the noose seems to be tightening around Professor Rajput, many teachers --- knowing his capacity to survive various crises in the past --- remain a bit tightlipped even as they chant: “If you have a piece of research, hide it from the VC.” (INN)