On Friday (December 3), BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra lashed out at newly inducted Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar over the latter’s inquiry about his educational qualifications.
During the debate hosted by News Tak, Kanhaiya Kumar took potshots at Patra over his recent appointment as the Part-Time Non-Executive Director & Chairman of India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC). However, when the BJP spokesperson was about to respond to his personal remark, Kumar intensified his verbal attacks and prevented him from speaking.
At 4 minutes into the debate, a visibly miffed Sambit Patra responded, “Let us portray our educational qualification here through our behaviour. There is no need for this shouting match. I am not here for a cock-fight.” Even then, Kanhaiya Kumar continued to obstruct the BJP spokesperson from speaking. “Yes, I have been appointed as the ITDC Chairman. Shankersinh Vaghela was the previous Chairman. I am more educated than him.”
Sambit Patra then went on to list out his educational qualifications. “I have completed my MBBS, MS and MRCS from London. I then qualified for UPSC with an all India rank of 19. If this is not enough to be classified as educated, then, what is the qualification of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi… How long will you keep mocking doctors like this?”
He pointed out that he was asked on Twitter whether he had studied in a private medical college. “No. I have qualified for the All India medical entrance (for pursuing MBBS). Only a handful of people qualify for this…I have stated my qualifications clearly. I was a rank holder in the UPSC exam in 2000. It was a UPA govt then. BJP did not appoint me.”
Sambit Patra then went on to lambast Kanhaiya Kumar for leeching off public money in the garb of pursuing a PhD degree. “Those who do thesis till the age of 50, live off taxpayer’s money will now ask UPSC qualified people about their qualification?”
Kanhaiya Kumar’s PhD thesis appeared in a predatory journal
In August 2018, a research paper by Kanhaiya Kumar titled ‘The Process of Decolonisation and Social Transformation in South Africa’ appeared in a journal named ‘International Research Journal of Humanities, Engineering & Pharmaceutical Sciences’ (IJHEPS). It was classified as a ‘predatory journal’ (those that accept money for the publication of a research article bypassing peer review) by the globally trusted Beall’s List.
IJHEPS, after being blacklisted, in order to avoid the disfigurement, started operating under a different name. It added ‘research’ to its name and now operates as International Research Journal of Humanities, Engineering and Pharmaceutical Sciences. My Nation unearthed the gimmick by identifying that both the organizations have the same digital footprint as well as registration numbers. The old version of the journal, as listed in both Beall’s List and Iran’s blacklist, and the new share the same International Standard Serial Number (ISSN 2249-2569).
