Policy
Deccan Education Society's Research Policy and Practices
Policy for Promotion of Research
Purpose
The success of an institution in attaining its objectives is greatly reliant upon the orientation of the faculty with all the aspects of research initiatives, being undertaken by the institution/ college. To achieve this, the College needs to lay foundations for research and make efforts to create awareness among all stakeholders regarding importance of quality research. The college has been working consistently to create awareness of research especially among the teacher's and students since 2010. Mini research projects has been one of the important programme in all the schemes of college which were submitted to UGC and DBT. With all these efforts significant results have been achieved especially in creating research culture among students and teacher's who have been working as Mentor's to these students. This policy will create a conducive environment for research and also promote research at undergraduate and post graduate levels.
This policy covers roles and responsibilities of the committee which looks into affairs and needs for research of the college and has been placed in a broader framework which provides guidelines for teacher's/ researchers in the college, initiatives taken by the College and Guidelines on Authorship in Scholarly or Scientific Publications of the College.
Scope
This policy will be applicable in all disciplines. It will help in maintaining honesty and integrity among the teachers and students of the institution and will help to abide by all rules, regulations and bench marks of accreditation agency.
The College has established Research Coordination Committee (RCC) to look into the daily affairs of research needs of the college in terms of human resource, infrastructure, administrative support and special facilities for research.
Objectives
1. Guidance for promoting awareness about research and sensitizing all stakeholders regarding quality research.
2. Identify and include research as one of the key programmes in all college proposals (wherever possible) and implement it.
3. Motivate young teachers to apply for research fellowships/ grants through various funding agencies in India and abroad. Provide all practical and procedural support to such teachers.
4. Cater to needs of research centres and keep a follow up of such centres regarding compliance of funding agencies/ affiliating university.
5. Provide all practical support to Research Students (Ph.D students, Project fellows and Post Doctoral Fellows) with reference to facilities, submission of reports and any issue related to accounts and finance.
6. Conduct timely meetings of RCC and document its minutes/ proceedings and upload it on college website.
7. Provide support in all aspects related to the researcher/ research project/ any other.
8. Identify researches in applied areas which will provide solutions to real life problems and also put emphasis on basic research.
9. Research will also need some innovative outcomes which can be incubated in the newly established incubation centre.
Policy
The policy for research aims to maintain highest standards of integrity and professionalism in all researches conducted in the institution. This policy document will establish internal mechanisms to conduct research, manage data, standardize systems and processes allied with research and will facilitate research in both the faculties.
Steps
1. Promotion of research, innovation, extension and the generation of intellectual capital through various sensitization programmes and by inviting expertise in those domains.
2. Keeping "mini research projects" as one of the important programmes under UGC- Basic Scientific Research Grant, UGC-College with Potential for Excellence (CPE) Scheme, UGC- College of Excellence Scheme and under DBT STAR College Scheme / Status.
3. Teachers will also be given Seed Money for Research for undertaking projects after following the standard processes.
4. Encouraging teachers and students to participate in seminars/ conferences and present their research and provide financial assistance to teachers through Seed Money from our parent organization — Deccan Education Society.
5. Organisation of "AVISHKAR" as project research competition in association with affiliating university (SPPU). This programme focuses on orienting undergraduate as well as post graduate students to do innovative research. Experts from various fields interact with students in this programme.
6. Organisation of "INNOVISION" or similar kind of programmes which are college level competitions where students present their innovative ideas.
7. Introduction of extra credits for students participating and presenting research papers at State, National and International Levels.
Guidelines for Researchers/ Teachers:
1. Teachers/ Researchers doing research and publishing papers need to publish their research only in peer reviewed and UGC listed journals.
2. It is mandatory for a teacher/ researcher to mention name of college as authors affiliation.
3. For research papers published under various scheme of UGC/DBT/Seed Money, the authors need to mention name of funding agency in the acknowledgment section.
4. They must avoid publication in predatory / dubious journals or participant.
5. Any publications in predatory / dubious journals or presentations in predatory / dubious conferences should not be considered for academic for selection, confirmation, promotion, performance.
6. Any attempt of compromised academic integrity should be challenged, questioned and derecognized at all levels.
7. Demonstrate integrity and professionalism, fairness and equity, and intellectual honesty;
8. Effectively and transparently manage conflicts of interest or potential conflicts of interest
9. Ensure the safety and well-being of those associated with the recombinant DNA research and handling pathogens by constituting Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBSC) and other regulatory agencies. On similar lines, research issues related to ethical clearance, will be referred to Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC).
10. Record and publish their methods and results in ways that are open to scrutiny and debate.
11. Guidance from Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE): San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA): the Leiden Manifesto: the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity Academy of Science 2018, Policy Statement on Dissemination and Evaluation of Research Output in India 2018 by the Indian National Science Academy and resources from UGC-CARE website may also be referred for this purpose.
12. College is committed to health, safety and environmental protection in all its various programs and activities. This commitment is congruent with - and important for achieving - overall mission of advancing, disseminating, and preserving knowledge, and striving to educate leaders in the service of society. All members of the college community (including students, faculty and staff) share responsibility for safety, and shall comply with established governmental environmental health and safety policies norms and procedures.
13. Wherever animal experimentation is involved or maintaining laboratory animals is needed, permission of Committee for the purpose of Control and Supervision on Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA) to be followed.
Guidelines on Authorship in Scholarly or Scientific Publications
1. Researchers have the freedom to choose their own topics of research; it is highly desirable to make research multi-disciplinary and socially relevant.
2. Research must be peer reviewed prior to it being published. Research is placed in the public domain before that it must goes through peer review process.
3. Results of research should be published in an appropriate form.
4. Anyone listed as an author on a paper should accept responsibility for ensuring that he or she is familiar with the contents of the paper and can identify his or her contribution to it.
5. Individuals who do not meet the requirements for authorship but who have provided a valuable contribution to the work should be acknowledged for their contributing role as appropriate to the publication.
6. Funding sources should normally be acknowledged in any publication.
7. Authors should fully disclose related financial interests and outside activities in publications (including articles, abstracts, manuscripts submitted for publication), presentations at professional meetings, and applications for funding.
8. In addition, authors should comply with the disclosure requirements on the Conflict of Interest.
9. Lead Author-The first author is usually the person who has performed the central experiments of the project. Often, this individual is also the person who has prepared the first draft of the manuscript. The lead author is ultimately responsible for ensuring that all other authors meet the requirements for authorship as well as ensuring the integrity of the work itself The lead author will usually serve as the corresponding author.
10. Co-Author(s)- Each co-author is responsible for considering his or her role in the project and whether that role merits attribution of authorship. Co-authors should review and approve the manuscript, at least as it pertains to their roles in the project.
11. External Collaborators, including Sponsor or industry representatives and individuals who meet the criteria for authorship should be included as authors irrespective of their institutional affiliations. In general, the use of "ghost-writers" is prohibited, i.e., individuals who have contributed significant portions of the text should be named as authors or acknowledged in the final publication. industry representatives or others retained by industry that contribute to an article and meet the requirements for authorship or acknowledgement must be appropriately listed as contributors or authors on the article and their industry affiliation must be disclosed in the published paper.
Breaches of Research Conduct
1. Any breach of code of research conduct will be treated as unintentional failure to comply with the provisions made in the above policy and procedure
Misconduct in research will include:
- Fabrication of data and results from researches
- Misinterpretation of data or results
- Plagiarism of contents and data
- Duplicate publication of data
- Publishing misleading results/ data
- Producing falsified data for getting funding from any funding agency.
- Misuse or misappropriation of funds.
Coordinator, RCC
Principal
Deccan Education Society's Research Coordination Committee
The Code of Ethics of an Ethical Review Board for Research in Social Sciences and Humanities
Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC)
Purpose of an ethical review board for research in Social Sciences and Humanities
There is a growing number of students, teachers and research scholars who are conducting major and minor research projects in the domain of social sciences. Human participation in these studies is not only common but unavoidable as the phenomena under investigation concern human beings.
In recent years researchers have increasingly ventured into topics that touch upon social and ethical dilemmas and controversial subjects. While the researcher has and should enjoy freedom to explore diverse topics, it is an obligation that we have towards society to protect the interests and integrity of the participants of the research. The research studies also must be carried out with the intention of social welfare. As researchers we also bear responsibility towards funding agencies and collaborators.
The purpose of an ethical review board is to ensure that the research studies being undertaken in the organization do not violate the integrity of the participants and are geared towards the betterment of society. Another objective of an ethical review board is also to ensure good scientific practice, like originality of research ideas, methodologically sound research designs, good scientific reporting practices, and anti-plagiarism practices. Recognizing the need for a body that educates students and teachers about good research - practices and also one that monitors research projects undertaken at educational institutions, the UGC has recommended that each institution has its own Office of Research Integrity (ORI) at the local level (Patwardhan et al, 2020).
General ethical principles and ethical standards
The American Psychological Association (APA) has listed down the following general ethical principles for research with human participants:
1. Beneficence and non-maleficence
2. Fidelity and responsibility
3. Integrity
4. Justice and
5. Respect for peoples' rights and
Of course, these are broad ethical principles and should not be used to impose sanctions and should not be considered as obligations.
The overarching ethical principles that have been laid down by the WHO concerning research are:
1. respecting human dignity and integrity
2. ensuring honesty and transparency towards research subjects
3. respecting individual autonomy and obtaining free and informed consent (as well as assent whenever relevant)
4. protecting vulnerable individuals
5. ensuring privacy and confidentiality
6. promoting justice and inclusiveness
7. minimising harm and maximising benefit
8. sharing the benefits with disadvantaged populations, especially if the research is being carried out in developing countries
9. respecting and protecting the environment and future generations.
The need to scrutinize research proposals that methodologies involving human participation
Numerous tools like surveys, self report questionnaires, rating scales, projective techniques, interviews, experiments and observations are used to carry out research studies. It is likely that a participant's identifying data is revealed in the process. It is also possible that the participant feels uncomfortable while answering questions in inventories or interviews or while participating in experiments. If researchers are accused of violating the personal rights of the participants they can be subjected to heavy penalties as this constitutes a criminal offense. The use of informed consent in research is therefore crucial in social science research. Also the participants must be explained that they can leave the research project any time they wish to without having to explain their decision to the researcher. The detailed description of what is needed to be included in informed consent is as follows:
1. Explaining participants, the aims, methods and implications of the study.
2. Clarifying that participation is voluntary.
3. Explaining the benefits, risks, burden or discomfort involved in participation. Giving an estimate of the time and effort expected of participants.
4. Explaining precautions to ensure participants' safety and provide information on insurance, if there is any.
5. Explaining who is funding the research and why.
6. Disclosing who will benefit from the research.
7. Giving a firm commitment to protect participants' anonymity and privacy (provided that this can genuinely be guaranteed).
8. Making a clear commitment to treating personal and sensitive information confidentially.
9. Reassuring participants that there are secure procedures for analysing any data gathered.
10. Explaining clearly who will have access to any data that participants provide.
11. Considering any unintended/unexpected/incidental findings and explaining how such findings will be dealt with.
12. Explaining briefly where research findings will be published.
13. Offering to provide respondents with further information about research if they ask for it.
14. Giving the name and contact details of the contact person who can answer any queries participants may have.
15. Clarifying possible uses to which data may be put in future (if this is envisaged) and clarifying whether participants will be asked for consent again if this is the case.
16. Explaining any issues relating to copyright of data and other materials used in the research.
Sometimes controversial methodologies need to be used in social science research. Some such methodologies are:
1. Use of deception in research
2. Covert research
3. Internet research and social media data in research
These methodologies are used in social science research because the open explanation of the aims and purpose of the research might inhibit honest responses of the participants. In case of the use of such alternative methodologies, strong justification for their use must be provided.
Other circumstances which necessitate the approval of the research proposal from a research committee include:
1. Vulnerable participants such as children, refugees, irregular migrants, sex workers, people with cognitive impairments, dissidents, traumatised people at risk of re-traumatisation (e.g., people from conflict areas, victims of crime and/or violence); and people in dependent relationships with the researcher or the research team (e.g. students doing course work with researchers). When there is a risk that these participants might be stigmatized, re-traumatized or otherwise harmed through their participation in the research, it needs to be carefully scrutinized.
2. Use of children in research
The ethical committee reviews the proposal of the research before the study begins as well as during the proposed period. In case the findings of the study fall outside the scope of the research project, appropriate measures need to be taken to report such findings or to protect the data.
Not every research proposal where human participation is enlisted can be risky for either the researcher, the collaborators, the funding agency, the participants or for society at large. Therefore, most ethics boards have a process of risk assessment. A research proposal may be classified as "minimal risk project" when the potential discomfort that participants might experience because of the study is judged to be not above the discomfort they may experience in their day-to-day life.
But if the research project runs risk which goes beyond the "minimal risk" level, a full review of the proposal by a research ethics committee is required. These "high risk" researches include circumstances when:
1. Participants are expected to talk about sensitive topics, highly private topics of their life,
2. Research involving potentially vulnerable groups and people unable to consent;
3. Research involving sensitive topics and those which might cause psychological stress, anxiety or humiliation;
4. Individuals or groups in cases where a gatekeeper is normally required to give permission for initial or continued access to participants,
5. Research involving justified deception without participants' valid and informed consent at the time the research is carried out;
6. Intrusive interventions or data collection methods, such as the administration of substances, vigorous physical exercise, or techniques where participants are persuaded to reveal information which they would not otherwise disclose in the course of everyday life,
7. Research which would or might induce psychological stress, anxiety or humiliation, or cause more than minimal distress,
8. Research where the safety of the researcher may be in question,
9. Research involving respondents through the internet, in particular where visual images are used, and where sensitive issues are discussed or where participants and other individuals may be identifiable in the visual images used or generated, social media and participants recruited or identified through the internet, especially if the understanding of privacy in these settings is contentious when sensitive issues are discussed - for example in 'closed' discussion groups where there is potential for quotes to be identifiable, and including those where visual images are used or
10. Any research where biological samples are collected and/or medical imaging technologies are used as part of social science research.
WHO guidelines about the constitution of the research ethics committee:
Composition of research ethics committees
The research ethics committee (REC) is constituted according to a charter or other docunient that establishes the manner in which members and the Chair will be appointed. The appointing entity ensures that the REC has a multidisciplinary and multisectoral membership, that its composition is gender balanced, that it reflects the social and cultural diversity of the communities from which research participants are most likely to be drawn, and that it includes individuals with backgrounds relevant to the areas of research the committee is most likely to review. The entity establishing the REC takes the following factors into consideration when appointing members.
1. Members include individuals with scientific expertise, including expertise in behavioural or social sciences; health care providers; members who have expertise in legal matters and/or ethics; and lay people whose primary role is to share their insights about the communities from which participants are likely to be drawn.
2. Lay people and other members, whose primary background is not in health research with human participants, are appointed in sufficient numbers to ensure that they feel comfortable voicing their views.
3. In order to enhance independence, committee membership includes members who are not affiliated with organizations that sponsor, fund, or conduct research reviewed by the REC.
4. Committees are large enough to ensure that multiple perspectives are brought into the discussion. To this end, quorum requirements provide that at least five people, including at least one lay member and one non-affiliated member, are present to make decisions about the proposed research.
Core documentation required by ethics review committees
The following is a brief summary of the minimum items required for submission to an ethics review board or committee. Additional items that may be required will depend on the nature and scope of the proposed research.
The core documentation should include:
1. The research proposal, showing the exact methods and procedures to be followed;
2. Evidence that the investigators' education and experience are appropriate for the proposed research;
3. A statement on potential risks, demonstrating that they are within acceptable limits and are justifiable in relation to the anticipated benefits to participants, and to the role of the research in furthering global knowledge;
4. A statement that no unethical deception of participants is involved, and no exaggeration of proposed benefits;
5. A description of how confidentiality will be protected;
6. A statement of how free and informed consent will be obtained. This will include the informed consent form to be used, describing the aims and objectives of the research the procedures to be undertaken, and how this will be presented to participants;
The informed consent form should contain the following elements:
1. A statement indicating that participation is voluntary, obtained without institutional or social pressure, and that there are no penalties for non-participation;
2. A statement of any risks that may be incurred during or following participation;
3. A statement of any inducements or compensations for participation;
4. A statement confirming that participation can be withdrawn at any time, for any reason, without penalty;
5. A statement on protection of privacy through strict confidentiality of the data;
6. An indication that only information or samples described in the informed consent form can be obtained without additional review and approval by the ethics review committee;
7. Information on contacts within the RI for participants in case of questions
For research involving IP, this essential documentation would also include proof of collective consent, and a copy of the research agreement, if one exists.
The need for upgrading the knowledge of current good research practices for ethical committee members
Institutional Ethics Committee
The Ethical Research Committee needs to undergo periodic training in order to keep up breast of the recent trends and good practices in research. The educational institution needs to organize such training programmes for ethical committee members from time to time.
As per ICMR guidelines, it is now mandatory for all research projects to get clearance from Institutional Ethics Committee. As Fergusson College has Science as well as Arts departments, it is advisable for the college to have an Academic Research Ethics Committee. This Ethics Committee will play a major role in submission and approval of research projects and also help teachers and students in getting publications in reputed journals.
It is mandatory for any Ethics Committee to have 11 to 13 members. The quorum of the EC has to be minimum 7 members.
| Sr. No. | Designation | Qualifications | Proposed Member |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chairman | Non-affiliated to Fergusson College |
Dr. Deepti Gangawane |
| 2 | Clinician(s) | Medical Doctors | Dr. Shailesh Deshpande |
| 3 | Dr. Madhur Kulkarni, Indira College of Pharmacy, Pune |
||
| 4 | Basic Medical Scientist |
Non-affiliated to Fergusson College |
Prof Smita Zinjarde (Director, IBB, SPPU) |
| 5 | Prof. Kisan Kodum (Department of Chemistry, SPPU) |
||
| 6 | Social Scientist |
Non-affiliated to Fergusson College |
Prof Juhi Deshmukh Department of Social Sciences, SPPU |
| 7 | Lawyer | Non-affiliated to Fergusson College |
Dr. Priya Chopade Principal, DES Navalmal Firodia College, Pune |
| 8 | Lay person | Non-affiliated to Fergusson College |
Dr. Sudha Vaddadi |
| 9 | Institutional Members | PhD | Dr. Suneeti Gore Department of Microbiology |
| 10 | Dr. Samir Terdalkar Department of Zoology |
||
| 11 | Member Secretary | Affiliated to Fergusson College |
Dr. Megha Deuskar, Department of Psychology |
References:
1. The Norwegian Research Ethics Committees Guidelines for research ethics in Social Sciences, Humanities, Law and Theology
haps://www. forskningseti kk.noien/gui del i n es/soe ial-sc ences-h uma n iti es-law-and-theology/guidel ines-for-research-ethics- in-the-social-sciences-1i uman ities-law-and-theology/ downloaded on 22/11/2020
2. WHO (2011). Standards and Operational Guidance for Ethics Review of Health-Related Research with Human Participants
https://vv-ww.who. int/activities/ensuring-eth ical-standa rds-and-proc edures-for-research¬w th-h u man-beings
downloaded on 21/11/2020
3. Indian Council of Medical Research (2018). Handbook On National Ethical Guidelines For Biomedical And Health Research Involving Human Participants.
4. CIOMS (in collaboration with WHO, 2009). International Ethical Guidelines for epidemiological research.
https://cioms.ch/wp-
content/upload s/20 1 7/01 /International_Eth ical_Guidel i nes_L R. pd f
downloaded on 21/11/2020
5. Patwardhan B., Desai A., Chourasia A, Nag S., Bhatnagar R. (2020). Guidance Document: Good Academic Research Practices. New Delhi: University Grants Commission.
Institutional Ethics Committee
The Ethical Research Committee needs to undergo periodic training in order to keep up breast of the recent trends and good practices in research. The educational institution needs to organize such training programmes for ethical committee members from time to time.
As per ICMR guidelines, it is now mandatory for all research projects to get clearance from Institutional Ethics Committee. As Fergusson College has Science as well as Arts departments, it is advisable for the college to have an Academic Research Ethics Committee. This Ethics Committee will play a major role in submission and approval of research projects and also help teachers and students in getting publications in reputed journals.
It is mandatory for any Ethics Committee. to have 11 to 13 members. The quorum of the EC has to be minimum 7 members.
| Sr. No. | Designation | Qualifications | Proposed Member |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chairman | Non-affiliated to Fergusson College |
Dr. Deepti Gangawane |
| 2 | Clinician(s) | Medical Doctors | Dr. Shailesh Deshpande |
| 3 | Dr. Madhur Kulkarni, Indira College of Pharmacy, Pune |
||
| 4 | Basic Medical Scientist |
Non-affiliated to Fergusson College |
Prof Smita Zinjarde (Director, IBB, SPPU) |
| 5 | Prof Kisan Kodum (Department of Chemistry, SPPU) |
||
| 6 | Social Scientist |
Non-affiliated to Fergusson College |
Prof. Juhi Deshmukh Department of Social Sciences, SPPU |
Deccan Education Society's Research Coordination Committee
Policy for Consultancy Services
Preamble
Consultancy is an important service by which knowledge and expertise flow from educational institutes to external organisations and social requirements. This led to overall development of institutes and maintains productive relationship with other components of society. Consultancy service in Fergusson College (Autonomous) will be associated with contractual relationships with external organizations in lieu of a fee.
Fergusson College encourages its faculty and staff to engage in consultancy wherever suitable. Fergusson College has taken the initiative to promote consultancy assignments to be accepted by its academic staff to create an ambience where new ideas and research culture will flourish. In addition, contributions towards professional development, innovations are expected through consultancy work.
Purpose
This policy is prepared to undertake consultancy work and its promotion in various departments of college. All consultancy work is executed in spirit of promoting Fergusson College in various ways of interactions for excellence in teaching, research, placement and in generation of funds.
Scope
Consultancy work is purely of professional in nature. It is undertaken by all interested members of an educational institute in their field of expertise to provide service for external agencies as clients. This in turn expects financial returns. Short term contracts are made with external agencies. It is very necessary to develop collaborations and enhance professional expertise of the collaborators, and strengthen professional relationships with external agencies of the society. All faculty members would have to secure advance approval of the Principal for consulting activities to ensure that the activity is beneficial to the college.
Consultancy services may be offered to industries and other agencies for general studies, technology assessments, psychological advices, designs, environmental management, software development, industrial operations, skill development programmes etc.
Approval of Consultancy Work
Work on a consultancy project shall be undertaken only after prior approval from the principal. All consultancy proposals must be submitted in writing to the Principal of the College for final decision. After getting permission from the principal, then only the work of consultancy can be undertaken by the staff member.
General Guidelines
1. Each project shall be undertaken under standard terms and conditions as decided by college from time to time.
2. Consultancy services offered will be related with- Expert Advice, Development Projects and Testing Projects.
3. The staff member desirous of accepting a consultancy work from any external agency should put up the consultancy proposal in prescribed format. All such proposals shall have proof of communication with client, with details of title, scope, and duration of the proposed consultancy work. It should also mention about amount of consultancy charges and timelines for completion.
4. The total time invested in consultancy activity by the staff member must be less than that which is equivalent to 30 working days per academic year. Such duration of limit should be mentioned in the communication with the principal. Permission from Principal of the college is must for any type of need-based extension in the consultancy work.
5. In case, the client approaches the principal directly, it would be discretion of Principal to assign the work to the staff member or the department, depending upon the type of work to be carried out, based on areas of expertise and existing commitments.
6. The charges for any assignment are normally payable in advance while for larger works; scheduled payment may be accepted as per stages of completion.
7. Consultancy work will be taken up by the college faculty and research staff provided they do not have adverse impact on the primary functions and officially assigned regular duties.
8. Office of College will provide necessary administrative support.
9. All expenses for a consulting project, including the college charges and the taxes applicable, must be covered by the sponsoring agency. This may vary on case-to-case basis.
10. Purchases and travel for the consultancy project shall follow the existing college purchase and travel guidelines.
11. Students who are willing to work on consultancy projects may be permitted, with prior permission of the Principal of the College. Students may be compensated by suitable honoraria for the tasks assigned.
Conflict of Interest
A conflict of interest shall be considered where an employee engages in consultancy at the expense of the college for personal benefits. All staff members engaged in consultancy work should not create any type of conflict of interest The services offered shall be along the lines of 'professional basis' and demand ethical necessities.
Sharing of Income
The staff member or group of the staff providing consultancy would be entitled to retain 70% of the share while college will retain 30% of the net income. The income earned by any staff member from consultancy will be taxable as per rules. All financial transactions related to consultancy will be carried out through online method. The college will make appropriate payment to concerned staff member after completion of work undertaken and after obtaining such kind of communication from the client.
General Conduct
Stff members must submit original documents related to consultancy work towards college for financial accounting purposes. The conduct of the employee during consultancy work must conform to the reputation of college. The clients should not use college name, logo etc. in any form without permission of the principal.
Solution of Disputes
All cases of lack of clarity on any must be reported to the principal, whose decision shall be final and binding. Any violation of the above policy shall be dealt with as per existing rules and regulations of college.
The Principal in consultation with Research Coordination Committee (RCC) may call for revision of this policy document as deemed appropriate.
Exclusions
This consultancy policy does not apply for research grants, scholarships or general dissemination of knowledge in society at large and other areas as decided by the Research Coordination Committee (RCC) of the College.
SOP for Consultancy Services
| Sr. No | Activity | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The staff member desirous of accepting a consultancy work from any external agency should put up the consultancy proposal in prescribed format | Staff member |
| 2 | The consultancy proposals shall have proof of communication with client, with details of title, scope, and duration of the proposed consultancy work. | Staff member and Client |
| 3 | It should also mention about amount of consultancy charges and timelines for completion. | Staff member |
| 3 | Permission from Principal of the college is must for any type of need-based extension in the consultancy work | Principal |
| 4 | Permission from Principal of the college is must for any type of need-based extension in the consultancy work. | Principal |
| 5 | If the client approaches the Principal directly, it would be discretion of Principal to assign the work to the staff member or the department, depending upon the type of work to be carried out, based on areas of expertise and existing commitments. | Principal |
| 6 | The charges for any assignment are normally payable in advance while for larger works; scheduled payment may be accepted as per stages of completion. | Company |
| 7 | Consultancy work will be taken up by the College faculty and research staff. provided they do not have adverse impact on the primary functions and officially assigned regular duties. | College Faculty/Research Staff |
| 8 | Office of Fergusson College will provide necessary administrative support. | Office Staff |
| 9 | All expenses for a consulting project, including the college charges and the service tax, must be covered by the sponsoring agency. | sponsoring agency |
| 10 | Purchases and travel for the consultancy project shall follow the existing college purchase and travel guidelines. | Staff Member |
| 11 | Students who are willing to work on consultancy projects may be permitted, with prior permission of the Principal of the College. Students may be compensated by suitable honoraria for the tasks assigned. | Principal |
Dr. Ashish Yengantiwar
Coordinator, RCC
Dr. vindrasing Pa rdeshi
Principal
Deccan Education Society's Research Coordination Committee
Policy for Prevention of Plagiarism
Purpose
In order to put a check on plagiarism and to recommend some institutional mechanism to eliminate the scope of this menace in higher education system in the country, University Grants Commission (UGC) in its 530th meeting held on 20/03/2018 considered and approved the UGC (Promotion of Academic Integrity and Prevention of Plagiarism in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2018. These Regulations have been notified in the Official Gazette of India on 31/07/2018 and are available on UGC website i.e www.ugc.ac.in Link to access these regulations is mentioned in the document below. All students and the faculty members of the Fergusson College (Autonomous), Pune are requested to go through the prescribed documents related to plagiarism.
Preamble
Scientific values, morals and ethics are prerequisites in both academia and research. A breach in these values and honesty can tarnish the repute of not just the individual researcher/academic but also the associated institute. Thus, it is of utmost importance to have in place, a policy against plagiarism. Plagiarism is the incorrect or wrong appropriation or closeness towards other author's language, thoughts, ideas or expressions. It is the representation of others' work as one's own original work. It is completely unacceptable to take credit for others' work, steal information or calling something of others to be of our own. Fergusson College (Autonomous), Pune hereby puts forth the following anti-plagiarism policy which will be abided by all the students and faculty members of the college.
Objectives
1. To create awareness about responsible conduct of research and promote academic integrity
2. To educate college faculty members and students about plagiarism to prevent research misconduct and plagiarism
3. To develop systems to detect plagiarism and to set up mechanisms to prevent plagiarism
Steps
Orientation and awareness
It is essential to educate the students and staff members about the act of plagiarism, the associated repercussions, the dangers it may pose along with the legal action that may be taken against the concerned individual. Also, the students and faculty members need to be educated to understand how plagiarism can be detected and prevented. Fergusson College (Autonomous), Pune shall take steps to strengthen the morals, values and beliefs of students and faculty members so that they do not take support of the unfair means as a resort to strengthen their profile. Also, faculty members and students shall be encouraged to take online courses regarding plagiarism and research ethics.
Compliance Statements
by the plagiarism policy of Fergusson College (Autonomous), Pune. No part of their work (assignments, term papers, project reports, thesis or dissertation, reviews, research articles, book chapters and books etc.) should be copied in any form and it should be an original piece of work. Every student submitting a thesis, dissertation, report or any other such documents is required to ensure that the document is his/her original work and free of any plagiarism and has been duly checked through a Plagiarism detection tool approved by UGC/SPPU. Each supervisor shall ensure that the work done by the researcher under his/her guidance is plagiarism free and a plagiarism check report will need to be submitted by the faculty member/concerned student.
Detection of Plagiarism and necessary legal action
Fergusson College (Autonomous), Pune is committed to use the best tools/software to detect plagiarism while preparing academic content as suggested by UGC and SPPU. If any member of the academic community suspects, with appropriate proof, that a case of plagiarism has been committed in any document, he or she shall report it to the Departmental Academic Integrity Panel (DAIP). DAIP will comprise of the following: Chairman - Head of the Department; Member- Senior academician from outside the Department and a member who is well versed with anti-plagiarism tools. Upon receipt of such a complaint or allegation, the DAIP shall investigate the matter and report to the Research Coordination Committee (RCC) of Fergusson College (Autonomous), Pune who will further establish the existence and extent of plagiarism. The RCC will use the software suggested by UGC/ National Knowledge Commission/ SPPU, Pune such as "Urkund" and "Turnitin" for detecting the plagiarism. The College has licensed copy of "Turnitin" which will be used for plagiarism check. All teachers/ researchers/ PhD guides to be trained for the use of software. This committee will provide with the final decision and action will be taken against the candidate. Depending on the extent of plagiarism the punishment could be (as per UGC/SPPU guidelines) :
- Fine or warning
- Prohibition to publish for a year
- Rustication for limited period or permanent (considering the severity of plagiarism)
- Withdrawal of degree
Penalties in the cases of plagiarism shall be imposed on concerned faculty members and students only after academic misconduct on the part of the individual has been established without doubt, when all avenues of appeal have been exhausted and the individual in question has been provided with enough opportunity to defend him or herself in a fair and transparent manner.
Fergusson College (Autonomous), Pune will not be held responsible for any violations of research ethics and plagiarism. The concerned faculty member/student will be solely responsible for his/her research misconduct and plagiarism.
Penalties in case of plagiarism in submission of thesis and dissertations
Plagiarism would be quantified into following levels (as suggested by UGC/affiliating University) in ascending order of severity for the purpose of its definition.
- Level 0: Similarities up to 10% - Minor similarities, no penalty Permissible
- Level 1: Similarities above 10% to 40% Such student shall be asked to submit a revised script within a stipulated time period not exceeding 6 months.
- Level 2: Similarities above 40% to 60% Such student shall be debarred from submitting a revised script for a period of one year.
- Level 3: Similarities above 60% Such student registration for that programme shall be cancelled.
The Principal reserves right to make necessary amendments as and when required as per UGC and University Guidelines
References:
- hftp://unipune.ac.in/administration_files/pdf/Plagiarism_Policy_University_14-5- 12.pdf
- http://sppudocs.unipune.ac.in/sites/circulars/MPhilPhDAdmission%20Circulars/UGC %20(promotion%20of%20Academic%20Integrity%20and%20Prevention%200/020p lagiarism%20in%20Higher%20Edu.%20Institutions)%20Regulations%202018_28.09 2018.pdf
- https://www.ugc.ac.in/pdfnews/7044741_UGC-letter-reg-Regulations-on-Plagiarism¬(1).pdf
- https://www.ugc.ac.in/pdfnews/7771545_academic-integrity-Regulation2018.pdf
Dr. Ashish Yengantiwar
Coordinator, RCC
Dr. Ravindrasing Pardeshi
Principal
eccan Education Society's Career Facilitation Center
Policy for Industry Institute Interaction (13)
Purpose
Industry Institute Interaction cell is an essential platform to bridge the gap between industry and academia. This cell will help to strengthen the relationship between industry and institute. The industry-institution Interaction Cell was established in the year 2013, which provides an excellent platform for both the students as well as the faculty members to be aware of industry expectations from the graduates. I3Cell will share as platform for all formal industry interactions and will include all those activities in collaboration with industry, which will promote student progression, both in terms of learning and in placements. Industry will also help the departments to design curricula in tune with industrial need and focus on making students industry ready.
Objectives
1. To explore and identify common avenues of interaction with industry.
2. To establish Centre of Excellence by Industry/ Corporate which will provide real time exposure on technologies.
3. To promote various research activities by the faculty members and students.
4. To establish convergence with industrial and research organizations from various fields through formal MOU's and Lois.
5. To promote all the objectives, the College will establish a cell / committee to monitor the activities and support linkages with the industries.
6. Promote Innovation through incubation activities and establish incubation center.
Responsibilities
| NAME | DESIGNATION/ DEPARMENT | ROLE |
|---|---|---|
| Dr. Ravindrasing Pardeshi | Principal | Chairman |
| Dr. Samir Terdalkar | Coordinator, IQAC | Member |
| Dr. Ashish Yengantiwar | Coordinator, RCC and ARC | Member |
| Dr. Abhijit Papalkar | Department of Chemistry | Member |
| Dr. Abhijit Papalkar | Department of Economics | Member |
| Dr. Kirti Chintamani-Limgoankar | Department of Biochemistry | Member |
| Dr. Suneeti Gore | Department of Microbiology | Member |
| Dr. Sanket Tembe | Department of Biotechnology | Member |
| Smt. Vrushali Limaye | Department of Mathematics | Member |
| Smt. Anjali Naik | Department of Computer Science | Member |
| Smt. Nandini Kotharkar | Department of Biotechnology and Coordinator, CFC | Coordinator |
Roles of Industry-Institute Interaction Cell
1. To give industrial exposure to faculty members and students, thus enabling them to enhance their knowledge and make them industry ready.
2. To organize workshops on trending technologies by experts in the field.
3. To assist the departments in organizing workshops, conferences and symposia with joint participation of the industries.
4. Encouraging Scientists from industries to visit institution to deliver lectures and support new academic programmes in the form of providing case studies, data analysis etc.,
5. To organize industrial visits for faculty members and students.
6. To assist the Training and Placement activities.
7. Visit of industry executives and practicing industrialists to the institute for seeing research work and laboratories and seek collaboration with Industry partner for submitting research projects to National funding agencies.
8. Practical training of students in industries, with reference to student internships.
9. To make concerted efforts for the establishment of incubation center.
Functions of Industry Institution Interaction Cell
A) Industrial Research & Consultancy
- Industrial testing (Proofing & Calibration)
- Sponsored industrial research
- Use of industrial labs by College
- Use of specialized database / lab equipment of College
- Research guidance from industry
- Creation of collaborative labs / testing centre at College
- Joint research publication
- Solutions for field problems
- Analysis & Design problems
- Research fellowship support
- Joint patents
- Creation of industrial chair to support research
B) Continuing Education for Industry
- Short-Term Training Programmes
- Onsite Educational Programmes
- Collaborative Educational Programmes which would provide industrial skill sets to students and earn extra credits.
C) Industry-Institute Exchange
- Visiting faculty from industry
- Training programmes / Short. term assignments to the faculty members in industries
- Joint industrial projects for faculty
- Participation of industrial experts in curriculum design
The Principal reserves right to make necessary amendments in the policy as and when required.
Dr. Ravindrasing Pardeshi Principal
Deccan Education Society's Research Coordination Committee
Policy and SOP for availing financial support for Research
(Under Seed Money- Deccan Education Society)
Purpose
Research has been an integral part of teaching- learning process. Teachers have been active in getting funds from different funding agencies for research. However, there is a large group of young teachers who are desirous to do research. In order to support their research, seed money will be provided by parent organization ie., Deccan Education Society. The seed money will help teachers as well as students to undertake research projects which have application value in terms of knowledge, community support and also provide solutions to few research problems of the campus. The findings of such research projects will help College teachers to apply for major research projects to different funding agencies, government organizations. and affiliating university (SPPU -BoD). It will motivate teachers to take part enthusiastically in research competition such as "Innovation" in association with affiliating university (SPPU), which focuses on orienting undergraduate, post graduate students, and PhD research scholar to do innovative research.
Objectives
- Provide funding to research projects will significant application value.
- Identify projects which can lead to innovation and can become incubates of incubation center.
- Create IPR which will help the teachers, students and parent organization ie., DES for their academic progression.
- Facilitate the presentation/ communication of research work as well as their findings which will support funding from national agencies.
Policy
The policy aims to motivate teachers and students to do research and train them to achieve professionalism in all research conducted under seed money funding. Also, this policy will help in streamline the process of research, management of research data and publications.
Process
Following steps will be followed while granting projects through seed money:
- Funding/ Grants will be sanctioned on case-to-case basis as per the requirement of research proposal. The decision of Research Coordination Committee for approval/ sanctioning of research projects will be final.
- Teachers who are confirmed with or without PhD are eligible for applying for funding. The funding will be available for teachers of grant -in-aid as well as self-finance programmes.
- While submitting proposals, teachers need to ensure student participation in the project. The students may be from undergraduate or post graduate programmes or both. A maximum of five students (UG/PG) are permitted to participate in the research projects.
- Proposals submitted by a group of teachers across the disciplines shall be considered on priority.
- Proposal should clearly focus on local issues, practical relevance and academic increment of parent organization (Deccan Education Society) in terms of research and outreach. It should also state objectives, methods and deliverables and outcome of the project in terms of publications/patents etc. The patents generated through research should mention Secretary, Deccan Education Society as the author.
- The merits to be considered while sanctioning of research projects will depend on:
- Application value of the project
- Future scope and prospects of the research findings.
- Any prospective innovation through research findings
- Scope of paper publication and patent filing
Funds obtained through seed money can be utilized for contingency, chemicals, books and journals. Small amount of grant can also be utilized for travel and field work/ field surveys etc., Similarly, small amount of sanctioned amount can also be utilized for availing service charges for analysis purpose.
The funding for projects will not exceed Rs.30,000.00 per research project for projects under Science and Rs. 20,000.00 per research project for Humanities and social sciences.
At least one approved journal publication is mandatory, once the project is sanctioned. The financial support provided by the parent organization (Deccan Education Society) and Fergusson College (Autonomous), Pune, should be acknowledged
Expenditure on membership/subscription of any services as well as expenses for filing patents/publication charges will not be permitted through seed money.
Duration of the project shall be maximum six months, which will not be extended under any circumstances.
The grants provided under seed money for research projects should be utilized in accordance with the guidelines issued by RCC from time to time.
In case, if the teacher(s)/Investigator(s) fails to complete the project, he/she must refund the entire amount sanctioned with interest @ 10% per annum to college.
No teacher shall be eligible to avail the benefit of this scheme more than once in three years.
The purchases for research projects under seed money will be implemented through `Central/College Purchase Committee".
The SOP for purchases and further processing will be as stated in SOP for Purchases.
The bills of payments should be submitted in the stipulated time frame duly signed by the teacher/investigator and approved by the Coordinator, RCC.
The Chairman, Deccan Education Society, Pune and Principal of College in consultation with RCC may amend the above procedure if needed.
Responsibilities
1. The Research Coordination Committee (RCC) will be responsible to implement and monitor the entire process.
Dr. Ashish Yengantiwar Coordinator, RCC
Dr.Ravindrasing Pardeshi Principal
Policy for Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)
Purpose
In the recent years, there has been tremendous shift in the knowledge driven ecosystem and more emphasis has been given to higher education institutes to cater to research needs and do industry relevant research and facilitate technology transfer. The college being one of the oldest premier educational institute offers variety of academic programmes in faculty of Arts and Science with recognized research centres. The college has also been collaborating with industries for research, internships, collaborative research projects. The college has also established incubation center and has provided opportunities for young researchers and entrepreneurs. Hence, a need was felt for a policy defining protection of intellectual property right. By doing so, the researches will have commercial value and will also provide solutions for industrial problems.
Scope of policy
The policy will include all research conducted in the college by students and teachers and also research output of incubation center.
Policy
The policy will encourage and promote research in the college including incubation center and protect the intellectual property generated at all levels. the policy could be treated in following ways:
- In case of college teachers (employees), all rights in Intellectual Property devised, made or created by an employee and student of the college in the course of his or her duties and activities of employment shall generally belong automatically to the teacher and researcher mentioning college affiliation.
- If an employee of the college creates Intellectual Property outside the normal course of his or her duties of employment, with the significant use of college resources then, he or she will decide on transferring the rights to the College, as use of College Resources.
- College employees (teachers/students) pursuing research activities at other institutions, in such case, the rights related to Intellectual Property, will governed by the agreement between the college and other institute.
- Visiting Researchers or incubatees are required to transfer the IP rights to the College, which will be mentioned in the agreement with incubatees for activities arising from their association with the college/ incubation center
Objectives
- Promote, encourage and aid scientific investigation and research.
- Facilitate the recording, monitoring and maintenance of college Intellectual Property portfolio.
- Ensure that, economic benefits arising from the commercialization of Intellectual Property are distributed in a fair and equitable manner recognizing the contributions of the Inventors.
- Provide platform for young researchers and entrepreneurs to nurture and nourish their ideas for benefit of the society.
The IPR Facilitation Cell
| Sr. No. | Name | Designation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dr. Ravindrasing Pardeshi | Principal and Chairman |
| 2 | Dr. Raj Hirwani | Advisor |
| 3 | Dr. Abhijit Papalkar | Member, Department of Chemistry |
| 4 | Adv. Paresh Chinchole | Member, Registered Patent Agent and Consultant |
| 5 | Ms. Rashmi Arya | Member, Principal Scientist, CSIR URDIP |
| 6 | Ms. Devaki Marathe | Member, Registered Patent Agent and Consultant |
| 7 | Ms. Nandini Kotharkar | Coordinator (Department of Biotechnology) |
The Principal reserves right to make necessary amendments in the policy as and when required as per UGC and University Guidelines.
Dr. Ravindrasing Pardesi Principal