The Sangiliyandi Gurunathan and Kalasalingam University story was covered by earlier posts here and here.
I have today received replies from the University and from the Society of Scientific Values reporting on the actions already taken. The head of Department – Sangiliyandi Gurunathan – had been instructed to and has resigned. Four students registered for a PhD have had their registrations cancelled. Pending PhD registrations for two further students have also been cancelled.
This is a remarkable, speedy and very commendable response from the Vice Chancellor Dr. S Radhakrishnan. In the Indian context (and perhaps in the context of any University) the speed and decisiveness is unprecedented and it gives me hope for the future of ethical and academic standards at Indian Universities.
Press Release (pdf) Kalasalingam release
The replies from Dr. Radhakrishnan, Vice Chancellor and from Prof. Chopra of the Society of Scientific Values to the mail I had sent to Chopra (copied to Radhakrishnan) follow:
date Sun, Aug 7, 2011 at 8:13 AM
subject Dear Sir,
Please refer the attached pdf file regarding the action taken against Dr. G. Sangliyandi and the research scholars who are found to be involved in scientific misconduct (Image manipulation and the potential of scientific fraud)
Thanking you for bringing this issue to our notice immediately.With Regards
Dr. S. Radhakrishnan
Vice-Chancellor
Kalasalingam University
Krishnankoil – 626 126
Tamilnadu INDIAFrom SSV copied to me
Dear Prof Radhakrishnan:
On behalf of the Society for Scientific Values (SSV), I wish to thank you and congratulate you on taking a right and an exemplary decision on unethical practices by your colleague and students. We will post this news on our website as also in our next News&Views. Very rarely do VCs take such strong and correct action as you have done.SSV will be very happy to join hands with your faculty colleagues to organise one day seminar on Ethical Values for S&T at your University at a mutually convenient date. Please do let me know.Best wishesProf (Dr) K. L. Chopra (Padamshri)
FNA, FASc, FNASc, FNAE, D.Sc.(hc)
(Former Director, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur)
President, Society for Scientific Values
date subject Dear Professor Chopra,
You will be aware of the wholesale findings of image manipulation in at least 8 papers from the Biotechnology Department of Kalasalingam University. Sangiliyandi Gurunathan is the primary investigator on these papers and the list of retracted papers which bear his name is now getting very long.
There seem to be two issues here:
1. the widespread manipulation of images and plagiarism by doctoral students, and
2. the lack of leadership and supervision which seems to encourage such scientific misconduct.
I draw your attention to:
Retraction Watch – Angiogenesis retracts two papers, cites image manipulation in eight, as PI blames unethical students
ktwop blog – At least 8 more papers from biotechnology department at Kalasalingam University manipulated as 2 are retracted.
I would hope that the Society for Scientific Values could conduct an investigation because something is seriously amiss at this university.
I have also copied this to Dr. S Radhakrisnan, Vice Chancellor since I have corresponded with him earlier (February 2011) about the earlier retraction of Sangiliyandi Gurunathan’s paper.
best regards
(ktwop)
The k2p blog 