Layers of dust years after ‘Himalayan fossil hoax’

From The New York Times to Nature magazine almost every major journal of the world reported on Panjab University around two-and-a-half decades back. The coverage was not about any scientific breakthrough, but about what is called the biggest scientific frauds of the last century, known as the 'Himalayan Fossil Hoax'. Nature had, 27 years ago, said that Prof Vishwa Jit Gupta's 'findings' "will cast a longer shadow" than the Piltdown hoax.

Following a series of meetings, committees and inquiries, Gupta not only escaped any serious punishment but also got superannuated from the post in 2002 with full retrial benefits. Thanks to governance today too, frauds are dealt with no differently.

"Things have not changed much," says Dr Arun Kumar Grover, Vice Chancellor of Panjab University, though he disagrees that things have worsened.

The latest example was of three cases of different types of fraud committed by one chairperson, one professor and a Senate member which came up for action in a Senate meeting on March 27. But nothing happened. The most glaring of them was of Dr Neelam Paul, associate professor of music department at Panjab University. While applying for promotion as professor, she wrongly claimed that she had fulfilled the essential requirement of publishing five research papers. She also failed to comply with repeated requests for producing evidence to support her claim. She was denied the promotion. She served a legal notice on Chancellor for denying her promotion. Vice President of India, Hamid Ansari, is the Chancellor whose office summoned the VC for case updates. 

But this was not something new for the university authorities. The university is entangled in over 1,200 legal cases in various courts. "The number is much more than the quality research papers the university has produced," says a department chairperson, who wishes not to be named.

A senate member, who is now holding the position for almost a decade and was present in the March 27 senate meeting, said he could imagine very well how Vishwa Jit Gupta managed to get away.

"It is difficult to count how many frauds have taken place after and before Gupta. But the question is how most of them easily got away," says Akshay Kumar, president of Panjab University Teachers' Association.

Kumar says all this indicates that there is a serious problem with our governance system. The PUTA has pointed out that governance of the university is being controlled by "outsiders" as well as people without any academic credentials. "Look, who is representing the medical faculty in Senate. Are they really medical doctors?" asks Kumar. "Our system is such that you may find even a bank clerk representing the medical faculty in Senate," he says.

The same was pointed out last year by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), emphasizing that the university review its governance system. PUTA has now placed a draft of reforms in governance system before the vice chancellor and the Faculty. "We have been demanding Senate reforms. The teachers are not satisfied with the present structure of the Senate as it marginalizes their role even in deciding issues which are of academic nature," says Kumar.

The 'outsiders' have made mockery of governance, says Kumar. "This university has given two Presidents, two Prime Ministers and two Nobel Laureates to this nation. And look at the way the university has lost its sheen," says a senate member who is in his 80s.

But will the governance reforms ever see the light of day? "Of course, they must. There's no hope otherwise," says Dr Grover, the Vice Chancellor.