Academic Integrity Redefined: UGC’s 2023 Plagiarism Guidelines

The University Grants Commission (UGC) of India has established comprehensive guidelines to uphold academic integrity and prevent plagiarism in higher education institutions. These regulations are crucial for students, researchers, and faculty members to ensure the originality and credibility of academic work.

Understanding Plagiarism

Plagiarism involves presenting someone else’s work—be it ideas, text, or data—as one’s own without proper acknowledgment. This includes copying from published or unpublished sources, paraphrasing without citation, and self-plagiarism, where one’s previous work is reused without appropriate references.

Levels of Plagiarism

The UGC categorizes plagiarism based on the percentage of similarity detected in a work:

• Level 0: Similarity up to 10% – Considered minor and not penalized.

• Level 1: Similarity above 10% to 40%.

• Level 2: Similarity above 40% to 60%.

• Level 3: Similarity above 60%.

These levels help institutions determine the severity of plagiarism and apply appropriate penalties.

Exemptions from Plagiarism Checks

Certain elements are excluded from plagiarism checks:

• Properly quoted and attributed work.

• References, bibliographies, tables of contents, prefaces, and acknowledgments.

• Standard symbols, equations, and generic terms.

These exclusions ensure that common knowledge and properly cited material are not unfairly penalized.

Penalties for Plagiarism

For Students:

• Level 1: Resubmission of the work within six months without any marks or credit.

• Level 2: Resubmission within one year to 18 months without marks or credit.

• Level 3: Cancellation of registration for the course.

For Faculty, Staff, and Researchers:

• Level 1: Withdrawal of the manuscript and prohibition from publishing for a minimum of one year.

• Level 2: Withdrawal of the manuscript, denial of one annual increment, and prohibition from supervising students for two years.

• Level 3: Withdrawal of the manuscript, denial of two successive annual increments, and prohibition from supervising students for three years.

Repeat offenses attract stricter penalties, including dismissal from service for faculty and cancellation of degrees for students.

Detection and Reporting Mechanisms

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are mandated to use plagiarism detection tools like Turnitin, Drillbit Plagiarism Checker or Ouriginal. Suspected cases are reviewed by an Institutional Academic Integrity Panel (IAIP), which investigates and recommends actions. For severe cases, a Plagiarism Disciplinary Authority (PDA) makes the final decision.

Best Practices to Avoid Plagiarism

• Proper Citation: Always credit original authors for their work.

• Use Quotation Marks: When quoting directly, use quotation marks and cite the source.

• Paraphrasing: Restate information in your own words and still provide citations.

• Plagiarism Checkers: Utilize tools to check for unintentional plagiarism before submission.

• Maintain Records: Keep track of all sources consulted during research.

Adhering to these practices fosters academic honesty and integrity.

For a detailed overview of the UGC’s plagiarism guidelines, you can refer to the official UGC regulations.