Kerala Youth Commission chairperson, and former SFI leader, Chintha Jerome has found herself in the middle of a controversy over the allegations of plagiarism in her dissertation submitted for the doctorate. The Save University Campaign Committee (SUCC) has filed a petition in the matter to Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan to direct the authorities to review her doctorate.
Reports suggest that Jerome faced criticism for incorrectly attributing poet Changampuzha Krishna Pillai’s popular work Vazhakkula to another well-known poet Vyloppilli Sreedhara Menon. She submitted her dissertation titled ‘Ideological Underpinnings in Select Malayalam Commercial Films of the Post-Liberation Era’ in 2021.
In the petition, RS Sasikumar, chairman of SUCC, and convener M Shajarkhan alleged that the error showed the candidate has a lack of knowledge. They also accused Jerome of negligence. Furthermore, it has been alleged that parts of her thesis were directly copied from Bodhi Commons, an internet portal.
SUCC also accused the research supervisor of the lapse. They demanded action against both Jerome and the supervisor. They said the university authorities, including the Vice-Chancellor, are responsible for quality control in the process leading to the award of Ph.D. degrees. They said the university authorities should also be held accountable for the errors.
SUCC demanded that former Pro Vice Chancellor of Kerala University, PP Ajayakumar, who was Jerome’s guide, should be removed from his post as director of the Human Resource Development Centre. They said that her dissertation was picked from various published articles and the internet. Calling it a serious lapse on part of the guide, they said, “Universities are supposed to ensure originality and creativity. Those holding top positions in these institutions should not encourage the deliberate violation of ethical and academic standards.”
The Kerala Students Union (KSU) also demanded the cancellation of Jerome’s doctorate. In a statement Aloysius Xavier, KSU President, said that the degree without proper scrutiny has brought Jerome under suspicion.
In a statement, Jerome expressed regret for the errors she made in the dissertation. She said, “Many academics read the thesis but the mistake was not noticed. The error was incidental and will be corrected when the dissertation will be published in book form. Thanks to those who pointed out the error.”
Speaking about the accusations of plagiarism, she said that the content was not copied but the “idea was taken”. She further added that the references were properly cited in the dissertation including Bodhi commons.