MSU warned of protest during convocation

Times of India: Vadodara: Wednesday, January 03, 2018.

City-based advocate Shailesh Amin has warned M S University officials of protest during the forthcoming annual convocation of the university if the university officials fail to take action against the accused in the plagiarism case.

Amin on Tuesday questioned MSU's inaction in the plagiarism complaint which he had registered last year. Based on Amin's complaint, a probe committee appointed by MSU had also clearly stated in its report that professor P S Choondawat, the former dean of Faculty of Arts, had cleared a PhD thesis which was plagiarised.

Amin had alleged that Choondawat as head of Department of Sociology had cleared PhD thesis of professor Chandramani More from K M Shah Dental College and Hospital of Sumandeep Vidyapeeth who had plagiarised entire thesis of his student Dr Krushna Thakkar.

The committee formed by MSU had stated in its report that all the charges or allegations made by Amin in his complaint are "proved true completely".

Although the committee's report was first placed in the November meeting of MSU's syndicate members, the members had refrained from taking any decision or action.

Later, even during the December meeting of syndicate members, the university's syndicate failed to take any decision regarding the plagiarism episode.

"It is now becoming very clear that although there is sufficient evidence that such corrupt practice does exist in the university, the university officials are providing shelter and support to such corrupt people," said Amin, adding that if the university officials fail to act, protests will be staged on January 22 when President Ram Nath Kovind will grace the annual convocation ceremony.

Amin added that since November last year, he has sought information regarding the probe committee formed by the university under RTI. "But so far, the university has failed to provide or even acknowledge my application," he said.