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Due toan increasing number of student-researchers using ghostwriters to do the thesiswork for them obtaining a doctorate tag has become less difficult.

Experts say outsourcing thesis writing is not exactly a new phenomenon but itis important to understand why it is flourishing and the negative impact it hason academia. They say many teachers at professional colleges with PhDs, someeven from prestigious universities, have poor language and communicationskills. They may know the subject but do not know how to explain concepts -nothaving had to while producing a doctoral thesis. 

Apart from external agencies that provide help to write dissertations, facultymembers of colleges often play ghostwriter too. Several candidates approachEnglish or communication professors to pen their theses, the going rate forwhich is between `1 lakh and `2 lakh and even more, the professor of a reputededucational group said. 

Former Anna University professor V Chandrasekhar, who admits that doctoralcandidates have approached him to write their theses, says many teachers invarious institutions struggle to speak or write English. "It has become alucrative business, with some people charging large sums. But even money doesnot ensure quality. Many theses are full of grammatical errors or wronglyconstructed sentences," he said. 

Sometimes, students are involved in the process indirectly. A science studentof Ethiraj College says students do projects related to the thesis of teachersso the material they prepare contributes to teachers'dissertations."Usually, a student is given the option of choosing theirtopics. But sometimes, when they approach the teacher for suggestions on topicoptions, the teacher will suggest ideas that are part of a thesis that he isworking on," she says. 

The demand for PhD holders to fill teaching positions in universities andcolleges is fuelling the need for doctoral degrees and contributing directly tothe increase in ghostwritten dissertations. The number of candidates whosecured PhDs in the state was around 1,000 a year one decade ago; it has nowincreased fivefold, professors say. 

Prof Manivannan of the RMK Group of institutions says faculty members inseveral colleges, especially in rural areas, lack communication skills."This leads to outsourcing of dissertations," he says. "Languageskills are one aspect, but many candidates are also not ready to put in thework that goes into writing a PhD thesis." 

Former AICTE chairman and retired IIT-Madras director R Natarajan says thereare only a few PhD holders of true quality today. 

"Alot of fraudulent activities are taking place," he says. "Many peopletake shortcuts to obtain a PhD rather than go through the rigour required. Manyhave a tendency to take shortcuts for everything. This ultimately reflects thestandard of education."