A professor at Tamil Nadu’s 131-year-old Sarah Tucker College in Tirunelveli was suspended after allegedly demanding ₹1 lakh from a research scholar for guiding her PhD. When did pursuing a doctorate become an exercise in pleasing your professor? In this episode of Focus Tamil Nadu, we examine the alleged exploitation of research scholars through bribes, gifts, errands and harassment, and why this culture persists despite government guidelines and court interventions.
Updated - October 22, 2026 07:37 pm IST