University may set up panel to review Chintha’s PhD dissertation

Thiruvananthapuram: The University of Kerala is likely to constitute an expert panel to review the PhD dissertation of State Youth Commission Chairperson Chintha Jerome after complaints were raised over errors and plagiarism. However, as per existing rules, the university has no powers to revoke the PhD already awarded or correct the mistakes in the dissertation.

The reported factual errors would be examined by Dr Mohanan Kunnummal, who is currently holding the charge of Kerala University Vice-Chancellor, before further measures are taken.

As reported earlier Changampuzha Krishna Pillai's poem titled ‘Vazhakkula’ was attributed to another poet Vyloppilli Sreedhara Menon in the dissertation.

It is also alleged that many sections were plagiarised from an online article. The Vice-Chancellor can appoint an expert panel to examine this aspect too, say University rules.

The Save University Campaign Committee has submitted a petition to the Vice-Chancellor as well as Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, who is the Chancellor of the universities in the state, to remove Chintha’s guide Dr P P Ajayakumar from his guideship and also sack him from the post of Director of the Human Resource Development Centre (HRDC), which offers short-term training for college teachers.

Suitable decisions would be taken on these matters by the university based on the instructions of the Governor and legal advice, said officials.

As reported earlier two of the three experts who evaluated Chintha’s dissertation are from outside Kerala.