The publication rat race: Who will bell the cat? / by Amitav Banerjee.

The recent Medical Council of India (MCI) amendment [1] regarding research publications by medical teachers seems to have led to a publication rat race. Medical Colleges in India do not have a robust research tradition. Faculty in Medical Colleges qualify as research guides to post-graduate students for their dissertations on the basis of their teaching experience and publications most of which are due to gift authorship. [2] Against this background, the recent MCI amendment on research publications has led to desperate measures to increase publication by medical teachers. Besides, encouraging unethical publication practices such as unjustified co-authorship, plagiarism, and other publication misconduct, [3] it has led to the spawning of a large number of "predatory scientific journals" which follow unethical editorial practices.