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Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has terminated the employment of one of its professors, Ravi Kambadur, at both the university and A*STAR. Explaining the termination NTU said in its statement dated 13 Jul that the professor had been willfully negligent in directing a research group he was leading.

Prof Kambadur holds several qualifications from India, the highest being a PhD (Biochem) from the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.

The institution of higher learning Prof Kambadur graduated from, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGI), had been embroiled in a cheating controversy in the past.

An Indian publication, Tribune reported in 2013 that India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) unearthed a well-organised cheating racket during an MD (medical doctorate) entrance examination at PGI in late 2012. CBI rounded up seven woman and seven men. They were accused of using bluetooth devices and mobile phones to cheat in the examination.

NTU decided to prematurely terminate the professor’s contract after investigations into allegations of malpractice in research, which resulted in three retractions of papers, one withdrawal and two corrections.

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The university’s investigations also resulted in NTU revoking a doctorate awarded to one of its post-graduate student Sudarsanreddy Lokireddy, also an Indian national.

NTU’s statement suggests that not only Mr Lokireddy and Prof Kambadur but some of its other researchers too may be implicated and eventually penalised because of the findings of its investigations.