In this policy, unless the context otherwise requires-

1. “Academic Integrity” is the intellectual honesty in proposing, performing and reporting any activity, which leads to the creation of intellectual property;
2. “Author” includes any employee, student and researcher of the University who claims to be the creator of the work under consideration;
3. “Common Knowledge” means a well-known fact, quote, figure or information that is known to most of the people;
4. “Degree” means any such degree specified by the University Grants Commission, by notification in the Official Gazette, under section 22 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956;
5. “Departmental Academic Integrity Panel” shall mean the body constituted at the departmental/School level to investigate allegations of plagiarism;
6. “Faculty” refers to a person who is teaching in any academic unit of the University and/or guiding the students enrolled in the University;
7. “Information” includes data, message, text, images, sound, voice, codes, computer programs, software and databases or microfilm or computer generated microfiche;
8. “Institutional Academic Integrity Panel” shall mean the body constituted at University level to consider recommendations of the departmental academic integrity panel and take appropriate decisions;
9. “Plagiarism” means the practice of taking someone else’s work or idea and passing them as one’s own.
10. “Programme” means a programme of study leading to the award degree;
11. “Researcher” refers to a person conducting academic / scientific research in University;
12. “Script” includes research paper, thesis, dissertation, chapters in books submitted for assessment / opinion leading to the award of degrees. It also includes full-fledged books and any other similar work, or publication in print or electronic media by students or faculty or researcher or staff of University; however, this shall exclude assignments / term papers / project reports / course work / essays and answer scripts etc.;
13. “Source” means the published primary and secondary material from any source whatsoever and includes written information and opinions gained directly from other people, including eminent scholars, public figures and practitioners in any form whatsoever as also data and information in the electronic form be it audio, video, image or text;
14. “Staff” refers to all non-teaching staff working in University in any capacity whatsoever i.e. regular, temporary, contractual, outsourced etc.;
15. “Student” means a person duly admitted and pursuing a programme of study including a research programme;
16. “University” means the Swami Rama Himalayan University;
17. “Year” means the academic session in which a proven offence has been committed.

1. To ensure that elements of academic integrity and originality are observed.
2. To create awareness about responsible conduct of research, thesis, dissertation, promotion of academic integrity and prevention of misconduct including plagiarism.
3. To establish institutional mechanism through education and training to facilitate responsible conduct of research.
4. To develop systems to detect plagiarism and to take necessary action.

1. University/Heads of constituent academic units shall instruct students, faculty, researcher and staff about proper attribution.
2. University/Heads of constituent academic units shall conduct sensitization seminars/awareness programmes.
3. Train faculty & staff, researchers and students for using plagiarism detection tools.
4. Encourage faculty & staff, researchers and students to register on international researcher’s Registry systems.

1. All documents shall be scanned through a plagiarism detection tool approved by the University.
2. Every faculty, staff, researcher and student shall submit an undertaking.
3. Each supervisor shall submit a certificate indicating plagiarism free work.
4. The undertaking shall include plagiarism check certification.
5. University shall instruct about proper attribution and permissions.
6. University shall submit soft copies to INFLIBNET Shodh Ganga.

1. The similarity checks for plagiarism shall exclude the following:
   1. All quoted work reproduced with all necessary permission and/or attribution.
   2. All references, bibliography, table of content, preface and acknowledgements.
   3. All generic terms, laws, standard symbols and standards equations.
2. The research work carried out by the faculty, researcher, staff and student shall be based on original ideas, which shall include abstract, summary, hypothesis, observations, results, conclusions and recommendations only and shall not have any similarities. It shall exclude common knowledge or coincidental terms, upto 14 (fourteen) consecutive words.

1. Levels of Plagiarism

   Plagiarism is quantified into following levels in ascending order of severity for the purpose of its definition:

   1. Similarities upto 10% : Level 0 (Minor Similarities)
   2. Similarities above 10% to 40% : Level 1
   3. Similarities above 40% to 60% : Level 2
   4. Similarities above 60% : Level 3

n suspecting with appropriate proof, that a case of plagiarism has happened in any document,the matter shall be reported to the Departmental Academic Integrity Panel (DAIP).The DAIP shall investigate the matter and submit its recommendations to theInstitutional Academic Integrity Panel (IAIP) of the University.

1. Constitution and Power of DAIP / IAIP

   1. Departmental Academic Integrity Panel (DAIP)

      1. All constituent colleges/schools of the University shall notify a DAIP whosecomposition shall be as given below:
         1. Chairman – Head of the constituent college/school.
         2. Member – Senior academician from outside the constituent college/school, to be nominated by the Chairman.
         3. Member – A person well versed with anti-plagiarism tools, to be nominated by the Chairman.

         The tenure of the members in respect of points ‘b’ and ‘c’ shall be two years. The quorum for the meetings shall be 2 out of 3 members (including Chairman).

      2. The DAIP shall follow the principles of natural justice while deciding about theallegation of plagiarism against the student, faculty, researcher and staff.
      3. The DAIP shall have the power to assess the level of plagiarism and recommend penalty(ies) accordingly
      4. The DAIP after investigation shall submit its report with the recommendation onpenalties to be imposed to the IAIP within a period of 45 days from the date ofreceipt of complaint / initiation of the proceedings.

   2. Institutional Academic Integrity Panel (IAIP)

      1. University shall notify IAIP whose composition shall be as given below:
         1. Chairman – Pro-VC / Dean / Senior Academician of the University.
         2. Member – Senior Academician other than Chairman, to be nominated by the Vice Chancellor.
         3. Member – One member nominated by the Vice Chancellor from outside the University.
         4. Member – A person well versed with anti-plagiarism tools, to be nominated by the Vice Chancellor.

         The Chairman of DAIP and IAIP shall not be the same.The tenure of the Committee members including Chairman shall be three years.The quorum for the meetings shall be 3 out of 4 members (including Chairman).

      2. The IAIP shall consider the recommendations of DAIP.
      3. The IAIP shall also investigate cases of plagiarism as per the provisions mentioned in this policy.
      4. The IAIP shall follow the principles of natural justice while deciding about theallegation of plagiarism against the student, faculty, researcher and staff of University.
      5. The IAIP shall have the power to review the recommendations of DAIP penalties with due justification.
      6. The IAIP shall send the report after investigation and the recommendation on to be imposed to the Vice Chancellor within a period of 45 days from the date of receipt of recommendation of DAIP / complaint / initiation of the proceedings.
      7. The IAIP shall communicate the report to the person(s) against whom inquiry report is submitted.

Penalties in the cases of plagiarism shall be imposed on students pursuing studies at level of UG, PG, Masters, Ph.D. and faculty & staff of the University only after academicmisconduct has been established beyond doubt and after providing adequate to defend in a fair and transparent manner.

1. Penalties in case of plagiarism in submission of thesis and dissertations
   1. Level 0 – Similarities upto 10% : No penalty.
   2. Level 1 – Similarities above 10% to 40% : Submission of revised script within a stipulated period not exceeding 6 months.
   3. Level 2 – Similarities above 40% to 60% : Debarred from submitting a revised script for one year.
   4. Level 3 – Similarities above 60% : Registration for that course shall be cancelled.

   Penalty on repeated plagiarism shall be one level higher than the previous offence.

   If plagiarism is proved after award of degree or credit, the same shall be put in abeyance for a period decided by the competent authority.

2. Penalties in case of plagiarism in academic and research publications
   1. Level 0 – Similarities upto 10% : No penalty.
   2. Level 1 – Similarities above 10% to 40% : Withdrawal of manuscript submitted for publication.
   3. Level 2 – Similarities above 40% to 60% : Withdrawal of manuscript, denial of one annual increment (if any),and prohibition from supervising students for two years.
   4. Level 3 – Similarities above 60% : Withdrawal of manuscript, denial of two successive annual increments (if any),and prohibition from supervising students for three years.

   Enhanced penalty shall be applicable in case of repeated plagiarism.

   Benefits or credits obtained shall be put in abeyance if plagiarism is proved later.

   In case of complaint against any authority, such authority shall be from the investigation proceedings and appropriate action shall be taken.

1. University shall create an Institutional Repository on its website which shall includedissertations, thesis, papers, publications and other in-house publications.
2. Hard copies of all Masters and Research programme dissertations and thesis shall maintained by the concerned Department / School.