IIT-Kanpur refuses to revoke professor’s degree

KANPUR: Board of governors of IIT-Kanpur on Tuesday struck down the recommendation of the institute’s senate revoking PhD degree of assistant professor Subrahmanyam Sadrela who has been accused of plagiarism.

Professor Sadrela, a Dalit, had joined IIT-Kanpur as an assistant professor in the aerospace department in January 2018.

He was accused of plagiarism two months after an inquiry by a retired high court judge found four senior professors of the institute guilty of violating the service conduct rules of the institute and the SC/ST (Prevention) of Atrocities Act.

Professor Sadrela had accused the four professors of harassing him after which two inquiry committees, including the one by a retired high court judge, were formed to probe the issue. Both the committees had found the senior professors guilty and recommended action against them.

The board of governors turned down the resolution passed by the Senate to revoke Professor Sadrela’s degree.