Part 2: the story continues...

Not acceptable at all! Yes... I am good natured, nice to everyone, very forgiving, etc. But I do have a right to get frustrated at times. I mailed my project guide saying that what he had done was not acceptable and that we were irritated and angry. I also said that what he did was plain plagiarism and that in any other institute the person would have been asked to resign. I demanded and explanation from him for what he did and said that if the explanation was good enough then we will take back the request we sent to the conference authorities.

I got no reply from him. But got enough replies from close friends with whom I shared the mail. I am not someone who gets angry easily. But the way the prof operates has always been troubling to me and most of my batchmates. And I also have an issue with the quality of papers. In fact, my last paragraph in my mail to him appeciated him for generating interest in research in the department but also said that the way it was done was wrong. He cared nothing about the quality of "research"(if you can call it that) and bothered only about whether it got published somewhere - which is a shady way to operate. There are enough people in my batch who would agree that he adds no value to the papers and projects he guides (except for fancy names and adding his name to the paper or suggesting topics for some - ususally based on previous papers done by others with him). In fact, it was a concious decision by our group not to publish the work as a paper as we did not want him to get one more paper under his name without any contribution... and of course we weren't desperate for papers as some of our batchmates and juniors have turned out to be!(dont take it personally guys...its just my opinion)


I forwarded the mail to the HOD and Principal at college and CCed the prof again. This time I did get a reply. But from the HOD!
Content:
" I can very well say that the Supervisor who is guiding the project is the sole owner of the work. If you want you can very well enquire in your University and in IIT where you are studying."

Wonder which other college would encourage plagiarism by professors. It not as though he borrowed the idea and did some work on it. His only value add to my project had been converting the report into the "two-column" format!!!

Wait...there is more from the HOD:
He is supposedly disappointed that we guys are being hostile towards our college after leaving the institute(hostile?! we are pointing out that someone is unethical there and trying to correct the situation!). And adds that he will send a note to our institutes regarding this(saying that we reported plagiarism and hence we are wrong-doers?). Well...looked like an empty threat...so I didnt bother responding. Sudharsan did respond. He said that we expected support from college and since we did not get it, the conference authorities will take whatever action.

And today, I get to know (one of the juniors i mentioned before at least felt guilty of what he did and was apolegitic. he was also good enough to pass on this information to us) that the project guide told them that the HOD and Prinicpal plan to take "severe action" against us by writing to our institutes(where we currently study) that we had made fake recommendation letter when we applied for our PG. WOW! Look at the levels to which these guys can stoop down! Amazing. I of course have faith that IIMB is strongly against plagiarism and will not agree with any explanation given these people. But its a totally different angle that these guys are bringing in by saying that we made fake reco letters. Well... I haven't done that. So I'm not bothered. I did take a reco from my project guide... lets see what he mails IIMB!


Forgot to mention..just adding this bit now. I did keep one the profs I trust in SVCE in the loop when all this happened and he/she said he/she was aware of the "quality of research" that was going on under this guide and that he/she will talk to the HOD about this. But on seeing the response from the HOD, he/she decided against it. I dont blame him/her for that. No point arguing with people who have no clue on whats right and whats wrong!