Thesis being manufactured, Delhi

This week the team behind Eastlondlines has been working with journalism students at Jamia Millia Ismalia University in Delhi to produce the Delhi Gazette, a website much like ELL and covering stories in the Indian capital. Many of these stories reflect the same issues and events that are found in London, so over the next few days we are showcasing a selection of reports which highlight different aspects of life in a city of 25 million people. Here is the third report: a classic ‘sting’ operation revealing fraud in higher education. You can find the Delhi Gazette here.

Qazi Zaid & Prerna Lidhoo

In a startling revelation that highlights the level of academic dishonesty and rampant cheating in the Indian educational system, the video captures an entire market right across reputed institutions of Delhi.

Projects, thesis and final dissertations are sold here for a sum as low as Rs. 20,000 (£20). Those who make these projects for the students, claim that it won’t be detected in any plagiarism software.

Some of those who will get their degrees by submitting these projects may become engineers, doctors or professors. In an environment where there has been some talk about the authenticity of the qualifications of Government ministers, the video exposes the reality of education in Delhi and raises questions over the future of education.