Plagiarism has become a very serious problem these days. It is intensified by the easy access to the internet and the ease of cutting and pasting from a wide range of materials available on the internet. Plagiarism is regarded as a very serious offense in the academic world. It constitutes academic stealing - the offender has 'stolen' the work of others and presented the stolen work as if it were his or her own. It goes to the integrity and honesty of a person. It suffocates creativity, imagination and originality, and defeats the purpose of education.

Plagiarism is the act of using someone else's ideas, words, or work without giving proper credit or acknowledgement to the original source. It involves presenting someone else's work as one's own, whether it is in written form, spoken form, visual media, or any other form of expression.

Plagiarism can take various forms, including:

• Direct plagiarism: Copying word-for-word from a source without using quotation marks or proper citation.
• Self-plagiarism: Presenting one's own previously published work as new or original without proper acknowledgment. This is particularly important when submitting work to different courses, journals, or publications.
• Paraphrasing without citation: Rewriting someone else's work in one's own words but failing to provide proper citation. Even if the structure and wording are changed, using someone else's ideas without attribution is considered plagiarism.
• Patchwork plagiarism: Piecing together information from various sources without proper citation, resulting in a work that lacks originality.
• Unauthorized collaboration: Working together with others on an assignment or project when it is intended to be an individual effort, without explicitly acknowledging the collaboration.

Plagiarism is considered a serious academic and research ethics offense. It undermines the principles of intellectual honesty, academic integrity, and fair attribution. It is important for students, researchers, and individuals in various fields to understand the significance of plagiarism, use proper citation and referencing practices, and give credit to the original authors and sources of information.

Plagiarism is submitting someone else's work, ideas, or words as your own, irrespective of your intent to deceive. This means that even unintentional plagiarism through poor note taking or inattentive referencing may be penalized. Understanding what plagiarism is, and learning techniques to avoid it, it is an essential part of your academic training.

All published and unpublished material, whether in manuscript, printed or electronic form, is enclosed under this definition. Under the regulations for examinations, intentional or reckless plagiarism is a disciplinary offense.

Plagiarism has become a very serious problem these days. It is intensified by the easy access to the internet and the ease of cutting and pasting from a wide range of materials available on the internet. Plagiarism is regarded as a very serious offense in the academic world. It constitutes academic stealing - the offender has 'stolen' the work of others and presented the stolen work as if it were his or her own. It goes to the integrity and honesty of a person. It suffocates creativity, imagination and originality, and defeats the purpose of education.

In this University, plagiarism is a disciplinary sin. Any student who commits the offense is liable to legal or disciplinary action. It is disappointing to witness an increase of plagiarism in the University at both undergraduate and graduate levels in recent years. Time and again students who appeared before the University Disciplinary Committee alleged that they did not know what constituted plagiarism.