1. Policy Statement

The Prithvi Journal of Academic Research & Development (PJARD) maintains the highest standards of academic integrity, originality, and ethical publishing.

All manuscripts submitted to PJARD must be original, unpublished, and free from any form of plagiarism, duplication, or unethical borrowing.

Plagiarism, in any form, constitutes a serious breach of research ethics. The journal strictly adheres to the ethical publishing standards outlined by the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Academic Integrity and Prevention of Plagiarism in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2018, and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

2. Plagiarism Detection Procedure

To ensure originality and maintain the quality of published content, all submissions to PJARD are screened through Plagiarism Checker X, a professional plagiarism detection software tool.

The detection process includes two levels:

1. 1. Initial Screening by Editorial Office: Every manuscript is checked using Plagiarism Checker X before being sent for peer review.
2. 2. Post-Revision Verification: Revised manuscripts are re-checked to confirm the removal of overlapping content and accurate citation of all sources.

3. Acceptable Similarity Level

PJARD follows the UGC guidelines for acceptable similarity limits:

Similarity Range	Editorial Action
0 – 10%	Acceptable; considered original work.
10 – 20%	Conditional acceptance; authors may be asked to revise and resubmit after addressing overlaps.
Above 20%	Rejected immediately; authors are required to rewrite and resubmit after substantial modification.

Note: References, quotations, equations, and methodological terms are excluded from the similarity count.

4. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to PJARD must:

1. • Ensure their submission is entirely original and properly referenced.
2. • Submit a Plagiarism Declaration Form confirming that the work is original and has not been previously published or submitted elsewhere.
3. • Appropriately acknowledge all sources, collaborators, and funding agencies.

5. Actions in Case of Plagiarism Detection

If plagiarism is detected before publication:

1. • The corresponding author will be informed and requested to provide clarification or to revise the manuscript.
2. • Failure to provide a satisfactory explanation will result in rejection of the manuscript.

If plagiarism is detected after publication:

1. • A formal retraction notice will be published.
2. • The article will be removed from PJARD’s website and archives.
3. • The author(s) may be blacklisted from future submissions for up to three years, and their affiliated institution may be notified.

7. Ethical and Legal Framework

PJARD’s Plagiarism Policy complies with:

1. • UGC Regulations on Academic Integrity and Plagiarism Prevention.
2. • COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines.
3. • ICMJE (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors) standards.
4. • Internal research ethics standards of Prithvi Foundation.