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2025-01-12
Chandigarh: Directorate of Enforcement (ED) wing in Gurgaon claimed to have seized moveable and immovable assets following searches at 14 locations in the case of Rs 500 crore fraud perpetrated on homebuyers by a Gurugram-based builder. The agency carried out search and seizure at various places linked to Orris Infrastructure and its directors Vijay Gupta, Amit Gupta and others, as well as Three C Shelters and its promoters Nirmal Singh Upptal, Vidhur Bhardwaj and others. The searches yielded incriminating documents related to diversion, layering of funds, property and other asset details of the entities as well as laptops and hard drives. Documents were also recovered from lockers in the office of Orris Infrastructure. Fixed deposits (FDs) and bank guarantees (BGs) amounting to Rs 31.22 crore in the name of Orris group were frozen and seized. Bank accounts and lockers belonging to promoters were frozen and four cars including a Mercedes, Porsche and BMW were seized from the residence of one of the directors/promoters of Orris Group. ED’s Gurugram action follows its investigation after registration of two FIRs in the case by the economic offences wing (EOW) of Delhi Police in 2017. The prosecuting agency had recently filed the chargesheet against the two companies and their promoters about cheating, criminal breach of trust and fraud. Orris Infrastructure and Three C Shelters entered a collaboration agreement to develop a residential group housing society named Greenpolis at Sector 89, Gurugram, Haryana, over about 47 acres owned by Orris Group, whereas the development rights for the residential society were granted to Three C Shelters. It is alleged that two entities hatched a criminal conspiracy and siphoned off the hard earned money of the homebuyers by not completing the project within the stipulated time and did not handover the residential units to homebuyers and investors. We also published the following articles recently Three Bihar IPS officers promoted, two given new roles Three Bihar-cadre IPS officers were promoted, while two others received new responsibilities. Sudhanshu Kumar was relieved of his additional charge, Anusuya Ransingh Sahu was promoted to IG of civil defence, and Vivek Kumar moved to DIG of CID. Mohammad Faroguddin was promoted to DIG of homeguard and fire services, with Mrityunjay Kumar Choudhary transferred to Vigilance Investigation Bureau. State-wide I-T searches on builder group on suspicion of tax evasion About 170 income tax officials conducted a search on three interconnected real estate firms across 34 sites in Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Mehsana, and Morbi. The investigation targets a Mehsana-based developer for suspected tax evasion involving silent partners with political ties. The search aims to uncover documents and financial records, with operations likely to continue for 2-3 days. Hyundai Motor Group partners with IIT Madras, two other IITs Hyundai Motor Group has partnered with IITs Madras, Delhi, and Bombay to drive advancements in batteries and electrification tailored to the Indian market. A Hyundai Centre of Excellence will be set up at IIT Delhi, with a $7 million investment over five years. The collaboration will also involve software, hydrogen fuel cells, and EV ecosystem development.Trump’s Republican Party is increasingly winning union voters. It’s a shift seen in his labor pickWbrH2'SϱUξz3{[2 fm4EE%hk~e`F|Z]уYj.NbBMI͓4.X}95v1.tvK;_[V(Mo_̈@͇>>hrwS5tDYp}5Ȉ%˫dZQu .[v;qS^v뢲c)SS ,cYKY{NЄ9jT Juߓj*LͫBB¸J72{遇Зo

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LIVE. Rico Verhoeven vs. Levi Rigtershe could bring significant reform to how the delivers healthcare and benefits. Passed by the House with a bipartisan 389-9 vote, the bill addresses critical issues, including , and tackling longstanding workforce and technology challenges. One of the standout provisions is the increase in VA coverage for home nursing care costs from 65% to 100%. Chairman Mike Bost (R-Ill.) highlighted the importance of this reform, stating, " ." This expansion , a change caregivers and advocates have sought for years. The bill also aims to combat veteran homelessness by raising the and granting the department authority to offer basic necessities, such as bedding and hygiene items, to unhoused veterans. Both provisions echo pandemic-era measures credited with reducing veteran homelessness. In workforce reforms, the Dole Act grants the VA flexibility in offering competitive pay and bonuses to recruit and retain healthcare professionals. It mandates and staff, with outcomes reported to Congress. These adjustments aim to address chronic staffing shortages and improve access to care. Additionally, the VA must develop new staffing models and performance metrics to ensure timely service delivery. Dole Act passes House with focus on aging veterans and homelessness A new emphasis on value-based care is another cornerstone of the legislation. The VA and provider performance. To support these initiatives, the department will assess its IT infrastructure and workforce challenges, paving the way for a strategic overhaul. Despite its broad bipartisan support, the bill faced some contention. Ranking Member Mark Takano (D-Calif.) expressed disappointment over the removal of provisions from the RESET Act, which aimed to reform the VA's troubled electronic health record (EHR) system. Takano remarked, " ." The bill also , helping veterans transition to high-tech careers. Additionally, it includes provisions to extend caregiver support, reimburse ambulance costs for rural veterans, and ensure GI Bill beneficiaries retain housing allowances during their final semester. As former noted, " ." If passed, the act could deliver transformative improvements for millions of veterans.There is always some football on. But when it comes to December, you really don’t have to look very far. The festive period is traditionally the busiest of the year and that’s no different this time around – even with the already packed 2024/25 calendar. And as the games come thick and fast, let’s take a look at what happened while you were sleeping. Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester City tenure got off to the perfect start with a 3-1 victory over West Ham at the King Power. Jamie Vardy, who incidentally broke his manager’s record for goals in consecutive matches during the fairy tale 2015/16 campaign, opening the scoring after just two minutes. The impressive Bilal El Khannouss added a second before Patson Daka appeared to make the points safe in the final minutes, only for Niclas Fullkrug to then pull a goal back. The Foxes move up to 15th with the victory, two points behind the Hammers. But how much longer does Julen Lopetegui have at the London Stadium?

Growth. It's what most investors want more than anything else from their stocks. Some stocks can deliver more of it than others. Three Motley Fool contributors think they've identified no-brainer growth stocks in the healthcare sector to buy in December. Here's why they picked Eli Lilly ( LLY 0.13% ) , Novo Nordisk ( NVO 1.79% ) , and Vertex Pharmaceuticals ( VRTX 0.47% ) . The slump might not last too long Prosper Junior Bakiny (Eli Lilly): The unstoppable Eli Lilly isn't so invincible after all; the drugmaker's shares are down by 14% in the past three months. Minor slumps like these have been rare for the company in the past few years. It's been a mostly northbound trajectory for Eli Lilly thanks to strong regulatory progress and excellent financial results. On the positive side, though, the company's recent dip presents an opportunity for investors to scoop up its shares, provided there have been no changes to its prospects. On that front, investors have nothing to worry about here. Eli Lilly's third-quarter financial results did not quite meet expectations, but its so-called poor results were not that bad . The company's biggest growth drivers, Mounjaro and Zepbound, which treat diabetes and obesity, respectively, could receive plenty of label expansions that will push their sales even higher. Eli Lilly has several other products in its pipeline, which continue to grow at a good clip despite being overshadowed by Mounjaro and Zepbound. Verzenio, a medicine for breast cancer, is a good example. Lastly, Eli Lilly's pipeline is full of exciting products. It is getting closer to earning approval for a once-weekly insulin medicine thanks to recent solid phase 3 clinical trial results, while its weight-loss pipeline features several programs, including retatrutide and orforglipron. There is a whole lot going Eli Lilly's way. Despite its poor performance in the past three months, it remains one of the best stocks in the pharmaceutical industry. Investors might not want to wait too long, though. The company's slump won't last forever. Novo Nordisk looks like a bargain buy right now David Jagielski (Novo Nordisk): If there's one growth stock I'd buy this month, it would be Novo Nordisk. The company's focus on weight-loss and diabetes drugs makes it a no-brainer buy if you're looking at the long term. The unfortunate reality is that obesity is a massive problem, with the World Health Organization estimating that 1 in 8 people in the world live with obesity. It's a massive strain on the healthcare system, and that means drugs that Novo Nordisk makes, including Ozempic for diabetes and Wegovy for weight loss, could remain in high demand for years to come. The company has been experiencing significant growth over the years, and what's promising is that it's still in the early stages of rolling out Wegovy to international markets. Through the first nine months of 2024, Novo Nordisk has grown its sales by 23% while its net profit has risen by 18%. Shares of Novo Nordisk have fallen by around 20% over the past six months as investors worry about growing competition, the pharma stock 's rising valuation, and perhaps even a new government in the U.S. which may impact coverage for weight-loss drugs. But those aren't problems that should concern investors over the long run, as Novo Nordisk is a growth beast with many opportunities still out there, especially if its weight-loss and diabetes treatments obtain approval for more indications and the company comes out with a weight-loss pill, which could appeal to a wider range of patients. Due to its falling share price, Novo Nordisk is now trading at 36 times trailing earnings , and that drops to a multiple of 27 when you're basing it on next year's estimated profits. Given how much growth potential is still out there for the Danish healthcare company, it's hard not to like owning the stock for the long haul. Buying it on the dip could prove to be a brilliant move years from now. Seven paths to growth Keith Speights (Vertex Pharmaceuticals): How can Vertex Pharmaceuticals grow over the next few years? Let me count the ways. First, the big biotech company could continue to secure reimbursement deals and additional regulatory approvals for its existing cystic fibrosis (CF) drugs. Trikafta is the most important of this group. It generated nearly $2.6 billion in sales for Vertex in the third quarter of 2024, representing over 93% of the company's total revenue. Second, Vertex's commercial ramp-up of Casgevy should reap greater rewards in the new year. Administration of the gene-editing therapy is complicated, but it cures two rare blood disorders -- sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia. Third, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) set a PDUFA date of Jan. 2, 2025 for potential approval of Vertex's vanzacaftor triple-drug combo. I expect an easy approval. And I look for the drug to become the company's biggest-selling CF therapy yet. Fourth, I also anticipate FDA approval of suzetrigine in treating acute pain in early 2025. The FDA should make its decision by Jan. 30. With 88% of healthcare providers concerned about the risks of side effects of current pain medications and 78% concerned about the risk of opioid addiction, suzetrigine should have a huge commercial opportunity as an effective non-opioid pain treatment. Vertex's late-stage pipeline provides the fifth, sixth, and seventh paths potentially for the business to grow. The company is evaluating inaxaplin in phase 3 studies in treating APOL1-mediated kidney disease. Povetacicept is in phase 3 testing as a treatment for IgA nephropathy, a chronic kidney disease. VX-880 is Vertex's most advanced candidate that holds the potential to cure type 1 diabetes. Is Vertex Pharmaceuticals a no-brainer growth stock to buy in December? Not just yes, but seven times yes.WASHINGTON (AP) — Working-class voters helped Republicans make steady election gains this year and expanded a coalition that increasingly includes rank-and-file union members, a political shift spotlighting one of President-elect Donald Trump’s latest Cabinet picks: a GOP congresswoman, who has drawn labor support, to be his labor secretary. Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her bid for a second term this month, despite strong backing from union members, a key part of the Democratic base but gravitating in the Trump era toward a Republican Party traditionally allied with business interests. “Lori’s strong support from both the Business and Labor communities will ensure that the Labor Department can unite Americans of all backgrounds behind our Agenda for unprecedented National Success - Making America Richer, Wealthier, Stronger and more Prosperous than ever before!” Trump said in a statement announcing his choice Friday night. For decades, labor unions have sided with Democrats and been greeted largely with hostility by Republicans. But with Trump's populist appeal, his working-class base saw a decent share of union rank-and-file voting for Republicans this year, even as major unions, including the AFL-CIO and the United Auto Workers , endorsed Democrat Kamala Harris in the White House race. Trump sat down with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union leadership and members this year, and when he emerged from that meeting, he boasted that a significant chunk of union voters were backing him. Of a possible Teamsters endorsement, he said, “Stranger things have happened.” The Teamsters ultimately declined to endorse either Trump, the former president, or Harris, the vice president, though leader Sean O’Brien had a prominent speaking slot at the Republican National Convention. Kara Deniz, a Teamsters spokesperson, told the Associated Press that O’Brien met with more than a dozen House Republicans this past week to lobby on behalf of Chavez-DeRemer. “Chavez-DeRemer would be an excellent choice for labor secretary and has his backing,” Deniz said. The work of the Labor Department affects workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employers' rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. On Election Day, Trump deepened his support among voters without a college degree after running just slightly ahead of Democrat Joe Biden with noncollege voters in 2020. Trump made modest gains, earning a clear majority of this group, while only about 4 in 10 supported Harris, according to AP VoteCast, a sweeping survey of more than 120,000 voters nationwide. Roughly 18% of voters in this year's election were from union households, with Harris winning a majority of the group. But Trump's performance among union members kept him competitive and helped him win key states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Chavez-DeRemer was one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act, which would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The measure would weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Trump's first term saw firmly pro-business policies from his appointees across government, including those on the National Labor Relations Board. Trump, a real estate developer and businessman before winning the presidency, generally has backed policies that would make it harder for workers to unionize. During his recent campaign, Trump criticized union bosses, and at one point suggested that UAW members should not pay their dues. His first administration did expand overtime eligibility rules, but not nearly as much as Democrats wanted, and a Trump-appointed judge has since struck down the Biden administration’s more generous overtime rules. He has stacked his incoming administration with officials who worked on the Heritage Foundation’s “Project 2025” blueprint, which includes a sharp swing away from Biden’s pro-union policies. “Chavez-DeRemer’s record suggests she understands the value of policies that strengthen workers’ rights and economic security,” said Rebecca Dixon, president and CEO of National Employment Law Project, which is backed my many of the country’s major labor unions. “But the Trump administration’s agenda is fundamentally at odds with these principles, threatening to roll back workplace protections, undermine collective bargaining, and prioritize corporate profits over the needs of working people. This is where her true commitment to workers will be tested.” Other union leaders also issued praise, but also sounded a note of caution. “Educators and working families across the nation will be watching ... as she moves through the confirmation process,” the president of the National Education Association, Becky Pringle, said in a statement, “and hope to hear a pledge from her to continue to stand up for workers and students as her record suggests, not blind loyalty to the Project 2025 agenda.” AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler welcomed the choice while taking care to note Trump's history of opposing polices that support unions. "It remains to be seen what she will be permitted to do as secretary of labor in an administration with a dramatically anti-worker agenda,” Shuler said. Josh Boak And Zeke Miller, The Associated Press

As the end of the college football season approaches, many teams are beginning to eye which bowl they will be playing in. It also marks the time when coaches that have not met expectations are being fired. The list of fired coaches is already long and growing, likely to be in line with the number of coaches who changed schools or positions in 2023. The schools affected included several from the Bowl Championship Series. Mack Brown, the University of North Carolina coach, was let go on Nov. 26. His record of 44-33 over six seasons during his most recent tenure at North Carolina was respectable. He also took his team to bowl games every season, though his 1-4 record in these games was less than stellar. Neal Brown, the West Virginia Mountaineers coach, was let go on Dec. 1. His record of 37-35 over six seasons, with three bowl game appearances (and a 2-1 record), was insufficient to keep his job. Speculations on his successor abound, with former Mountaineer coach Rich Rodriguez certainly in the mix. Ryan Walters, the Purdue Boilermakers coach, was also let go on Dec. 1. His record of 5-19 over just two seasons, including season-ending embarrassing losses to Notre Dame and Indiana, likely played into his dismissal. Before feeling sorry for these men, they will all receive handsome buyouts. Neal Brown will walk away with nearly $10 million. Walters will take home over $9 million. Mack Brown will receive a rather modest $2.8 million. What gets forgotten at these times are the students who had developed close ties to these men. Given how the transfer portal functions, many will look for a new school next season, possibly following their fired coach to his new home. This benefited Indiana this season, when first-year coach Curt Cignetti was able to attract several of his best players from James Madison University where he previously coached. There are a number of issues that should be addressed when coaches are fired and paid ridiculous amounts of money for not coaching. These figures not only top faculty salaries, they are well over the salaries earned by every university president and chancellor. The UNC chancellor, Lee Roberts, takes home around $600,000. Gordon Gee, the chancellor of West Virginia University, has a base salary of $800,000. Mung Chiang, president of Purdue, has a salary over $600,000. Yet none of these high-ranking university official salaries come close to the buyouts for the dismissed coaches. It is common knowledge that big-time college sports involve big-time money. That is why the major television networks pay billions of dollars for the rights to broadcast high profile games involving teams in high profile conferences. So who will pay for these buyouts? The simple answer is all of us. Television contracts are paid for by advertisers. The cost of these advertisements is recouped in the products and services that we purchase. People who never watch a football game are paying for some of these buyouts. When buyouts, let alone salaries paid to employed coaches, become excessive, one must begin to question whether the “tail is (inappropriately) wagging the dog?” Athletic departments often argue that they are self-sustaining, not using general university funds targeted for education. Research suggests that this is not the case. Athletic departments also argue that college sports build school spirit and alumni engagement. The question is at what price are such benefits accrued. Without revenue sports like football and basketball, the professional leagues would need to spend a significant amount of money to build minor league systems to keep their talent pipelines stocked. Names, Images and Likeness (NIL) endorsements have made these revenue sports into minor league feeder systems. Some college students are now earning millions of dollars for being a student and playing on the school team. Of course, such high-profile athletes are the exception, not the rule, with most student-athletes earning a few thousand dollars. What has become clear is that in high profile revenue sports, student athletics are no longer about students. They are about a financial arms-race that has driven coach salaries and performance expectations ever higher. When Ryan Day, the Ohio State football coach lost to Michigan for the fourth consecutive year, speculation about his dismissal abounded. Fortunately, he was given a vote of confidence by the institution. Nearly every school would welcome him on their sidelines if Ohio State was foolish enough to listen to their vocal fans and fire him, given his 66-10 record since 2018 and five top-10 rankings in the final Coaches and AP polls. Athletics has a place on college campuses. Yet the financial optics tarnish its image. Most turn a blind eye, hoping to win this financial athletic arms race with national championships. Yet with only one national champion crowned each year, nearly all schools end up disappointed, except perhaps the coaches who end up being let go. They walk away with a treasure trove for failing to meet unrealistic expectations in a no-win situation.The usually formal convocation ceremonies at universities have turned a platform for Ph.D. students to express their angst in recent months. On October 28, while receiving his degree at Bharathidasan University’s 39th convocation in Tiruchi, F. Israel Inbaraj presented a petition, complaining about the treatment meted out to research scholars, to Governor-Chancellor R.N. Ravi. The incident caused a flutter, as media teams mobbed Mr. Inbaraj after the ceremony seeking details. Talking to the The Hindu, Mr. Inbaraj, a Chennai-based management professional, said the “complete disregard for human rights” by some of the university research section staff and guides had made him pen the note. “I applied for a Ph.D. in Human Resource Management in 2017, but was able to get my degree only after six years. Though I was fortunate to have a supportive guide, there are many others who have been left high and dry in the recent past. I decided to present a petition to the Governor-Chancellor to inform him of what was happening to research scholars at the university,” said Mr. Inbaraj. On October 13, A. Prakash, a Ph.D. scholar at Bharathiyar University, Coimbatore, handed a complaint to the Governor at the convocation. “At the time of the viva [voce], the research scholars are advised by some guides to shell out ₹50,000-₹1 lakh. Some scholars are being compelled to offer money, food, and gold to guides after the exam is completed successfully,” he said in the letter, highlighting the other alleged regulatory lapses at the university. “I was tired of seeing the inaction over the exploitation of research scholars by some guides and used the public forum to voice my concerns. Though my action grabbed headlines, there has been no change on the ground,” Mr. Prakash said. But the tide seems to have turned in favour of the scholars. This week, the Additional Chief Secretary to the Tamil Nadu government issued a note to the Registrars of all the universities to take immediate steps to stop the harassment of research scholars by their guides. “An online reporting mechanism may be put in place so that the research scholars can report their grievances and immediate action [can be taken] to redress them,” said the note. Culture of exploitation According to the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) report for 2020-21, Tamil Nadu had the highest number of Ph.D. scholars (3,206) that academic year. Making Ph.D. mandatory for senior teaching positions at colleges and universities has led to more students taking up research. Interestingly, it was reported recently that the University Grants Commission (UGC) plans to alter the eligibility rules in favour of candidates who hold a strong interest in fields like start-ups, entrepreneurship, and industrial collaborations. In other words, earning a Ph.D. may no longer be compulsory for faculty appointments. But unless the UGC makes a definitive announcement, the toxicity of the Indian doctoral research arena will continue to grow, say observers. The relationship between research scholars and their guides at Indian universities often appears feudal. Running errands for the guides is an accepted practice among research scholars. A Ph.D. scholar of Periyar University in Salem said, “Students who are unable to satisfy their guide’s financial demands will have to take on chores for them like grocery shopping, chauffeuring, and babysitting. A faculty member demanded that his students buy lunch for him every day.” Guides help students who comply with their demands in getting their papers published in research journals and clear their thesis, he added. Today, a sovereign of gold is commonly expected, and given. There are guides who demand a gold coin for each of the two Doctoral Committees convened during the course. At times, scholars with an approved Ph.D. may still be expected to pay an additional bribe of ₹1 lakh-₹2 lakh when their work is signed, said a management professor from a college affiliated to Anna University. Then, there are experts who come for the Ph.D. panel with their families and demand freebies, the cost of which again has to be borne by the student. “An expert from Chennai came to Coimbatore with the whole family and asked for a tour to Ooty!” said the professor. A Ph.D. scholar of Media Studies at Madurai Kamaraj University said that in his third year of research, his guide, the senior-most professor of the department, had hardly allowed him to work on his research topic. “I used to work on presentations and collect inputs for my guide’s research work. Even when I wanted to take time off to spend time on my research, he would blatantly refuse and ask me to do it after the work hours,” he added. A silent conspiracy Prabhu Panneerselvam enrolled for Ph.D. at Bharathidasan University’s Department of Commerce and Financial Studies (2024-29) and then quit because of the issues he had faced with his guide. Among the things he was allegedly forced to do for her were buying lunch and parking her two-wheeler using its double stand every day. “Some of the other scholars are treated like slaves and have been made to edit her curriculum vitae and prepare citations and presentations for her own personal work,” he claimed. When contacted, the guide refuted Mr. Panneerselvam’s allegations. “I thought we had a normal guide and scholar relationship, based on mutual respect. He seems to have misunderstood the situation. All our research students are treated like family,” the academic said. But it seems the pressure to please guides has pushed some scholars beyond endurance. In November 2023, Sachin Kumar Jain, a 31-year-old Ph.D. scholar at the Mechanical Engineering Department of the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M), took his own life. His brother Bhavesh Jain had written a six-page letter to IIT Director V. Kamakoti, alleging that his brother was under “undue pressure” from his Ph.D. guide Ashish Kumar Sen. The professor was suspended after an inquiry committee found him responsible for the student’s death. Another research scholar in Salem said Ph.D. students are treated like school children at Periyar University. “We have to mark attendance in the morning and the evening. Research departments should be allowed to function throughout the day, but, here, all the rooms are locked after 5.15 p.m. Ph.D. students have to do more field work because of the limited resources,” the scholar said. A Coimbatore-based academic who had also been a Syndicate member at Bharathiyar University blamed the current situation on a system that “focuses on creating a record of work”. Teachers are burdened with clerical chores, especially in computerisation of academic papers. “There is no teaching or research any more; the focus is on creating a record of work. The rat race to publish and linking increments to publications puts pressure,” he said. However, in rare instances, there are supervisors who spend money for their students. “I know one in Erode, who pays the fees for his researchers,” he added. Publishing articles in journals approved by the UGC-Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics (UGC-CARE) is a thorny issue because of its arbitrary nature. “Take, for instance, Anna University’s annexure I list of journals in which publication is mandatory. Almost all journals listed here are publications that demand money from the scholar, and some of them are dubious. The list has skipped Vikalpa, the prestigious journal of Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIM-A), but has included some other random publications,” said a professor. With the performance index of the faculty being dependent upon the articles being printed in these journals (according to National Assessment and Accreditation Council rules) and scholars needing them for their Ph.D. course, the cost of publication is usually borne by the latter. The published paper bears the name of the supervisor as the second author. The demand for Scorpus journal publications is unreasonable for humanities, said researchers. “Universities have their own list of publications that are not even mandated by the UGC-CARE, needlessly adding to the financial burden of the scholars,” added a professor of English. The rush for publication has created a grey market wherein “research paper mills” that print in return for payment prosper. “Nowadays, you come across agents looking for Ph.D. candidates. I often get calls from some agents in Nagercoil asking me to accept a scholar, with the assurance that they will write the thesis and I will just have to clear it,” said a professor. Independent researchers (who work without a guide until thesis submission) are not better off either. “There was a time when I had submitted a paper online, and within seconds, I got a message saying that it had been accepted, without any scrutiny,” said a professor, who had completed her Ph.D. in 2014, after starting her work in 2009. “I chose to do an independent Ph.D. because I had heard a lot about the toxic research space, demands for payment, and harassment faced by women scholars,” she said. However, at the time of submission and allocation of a supervisor at the end of submission, she had to pay ₹1.5 lakh to the ‘guide’. The practice of guides receiving gold coins, gifts, and money from the candidates as a “mark of gratitude” is all too common, said T. Veeramani, principal, Government College for Women, Coimbatore, and former State president of Government College Teachers’ Association. A professor of English in Coimbatore, who regularly supervises students, flags how colleges restrict staff payments. “Ph.D. students pay a fee to the college, but the remuneration is not paid to the supervisor. Often, an external examiner from an international university will demand $1,500 for adjudication of a thesis. The university allocates only $100, the balance has to be paid up by the scholar,” says the professor. Hosting external examiners adds to the expenses, even if universities are willing to bear the cost. “It leads to the fee for the Ph.D programmes getting drastically hiked. Unfortunately, the problem is here to stay,” Professor Veeramani said. Lack of integrity There can be no quick-fix solution to the malady, said academics. The integrity of the external examiner invariably becomes suspect when they accept the elaborate hospitality of the candidate. “As though the deterioration in the quality of research is not enough, the personal corruption precipitates the decline,” said P.K. Ponnuswamy, former Vice-Chancellor of Madras and Madurai Kamaraj Universities. “The exploitation has existed for ages; perhaps, only the range has changed over the years. It is unfortunate that the corrupt have become bolder and are not bothered even by student suicides,” said E. Balagurusamy, former Vice-Chancellor of Anna University. While news headlines focus on the plight of male candidates, the condition of women research scholars is more precarious, Professor Balagurusamy said. “Guides have been known to demand sexual favours from their women scholars for processing the paperwork. The victims’ plea for help often goes unheard, because women are expected to ‘adjust’ themselves to the situation if they want their degree,” he added. Professor Balagurusamy, an advisor to the Confederation of Indian Private Universities, said playing fast and loose with the rules would affect the quality of research in the long run. “When guides are taking money for everything, they will not be worried about the quality of their scholars’ submissions. Reputation matters only to those with integrity,” he said. (With inputs from R. Krishnamoorthy in Coimbatore, P. V. Srividya in Krishnagiri, M. Sabari in Salem, and Palanivel Rajan in Madurai.) Published - November 24, 2024 01:03 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit

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