An Indian Ombudsman Institution for Ethics in Scientific R&D

Misconduct in science and technology R&D is about a less than desirable state of honesty, ethics and integrity on part of the various stakeholders, be they individual researchers or organizations (state run or private) and is a matter of concern globally. Though misconduct is a fait accompli, what is more important is the way to deal with it. Since it is a global issue there is an ample scope for learning from others' experience. Is there any well defined system in place in India or is it dealt with essentially in an ad hoc manner? Here we have summarized the information about systems to deal with misconduct in case of a few countries where the misconduct in science and technology R&D is recognized as an offense meriting appropriate punitive measures and deterrents. We also show why an Ombudsman is the need for dealing with misconduct in science in India.