Prof. Bhim Bali Prasad from Banaras Hindu University has 51 papers on Pubpeer for image manipulation and/or duplication. There are more papers with manipulated images. Dr. Rashmi Madhuri, who did her PhD under Prof. Prasad’s supervision, is a co-author in 16 papers. Dr. Madhuri is under investigation for image manipulation at IIT Dhanbad.

With 51 papers listed on Pubpeer for image manipulation and/or duplication, Prof. Bhim Bali Prasad from the Department of Chemistry at Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi is the big daddy of image manipulation and duplication. Except in one, Prof. Prasad is the corresponding author in the remaining 50 papers.

The problematic papers have been published between 2005 and 2018. The year 2013 has been his best with 10 papers containing manipulated and/or duplicated images. That he is not only a sprint runner but also a marathon champion comes out in the way he has been prolifically producing papers with artfully manipulated images. There are nine problematic papers published in 2010, eight in 2018, seven in 2011, six in 2016 and five in 2015.

As is the norm with authors who publish papers with questionable images, Prof. Prasad too has his favourite journals. The journal Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical has published 12 such papers, followed by Biosensors and Bioelectronics with seven and Electrochimica Acta with six papers.

On the University website page, he has mentioned his “Top 10 major publications”. Ironically, six of the 10 have been listed on Pubpeer for manipulation, duplication.

Prof. Prasad has shown remarkable keenness to manipulate images than duplicate them. This is in contrast to Prof. Avinash C. Pandey of University of Allahabad, who was the supervisor of Dr. Prashant Sharma, currently at IIT Dhanbad and under investigation for image manipulation and/or duplication.

In a one-sentence email reply to me, Prof. Prasad says: “It appears to me that there were conflict of interests to spread fake comments.” He does not deny or defend any wrongdoing. Despite repeated reminder emails and phone calls, I heard nothing more from him.

Training students in the fine art of image manipulation

With 24 retracted paper and 15 more papers still listed on Pubpeer, Dr. Rashmi Madhuri,  Assistant Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Dhanbad is under investigation for image manipulation and duplication. She is a coauthor in 16 of the 51 papers published by Prof. Prasad.

Dr. Madhuri completed her PhD in 2012 at BHU under the guidance of Prof. Prasad. And going by the track record, there is little doubt that Dr. Madhuri has been well guided by Prof. Prasad.

After Dr. Madhuri, Prof. Prasad seems to be training a few other PhD students in the fine art of manipulating and/or duplicating images. Mahavir Prasad Tiwari, who according to this paper in 2011, was doing his PhD under the guidance of Prof Prasad, has co-authored 23 papers listed here. Kislay Singh, who in 2017 was perusing her PhD under the supervision of Prof. Prasad, has four papers listed on Pubpeer.

This underscores the huge problem of how scientists who indulge in unethical practices when unchecked tend to teach or encourage their students to indulge in unethical practices.

Problematic papers listed on Pubpeer website

1) Imprinting molecular recognition sites on multiwalled carbon nanotubes surface for electrochemical detection of insulin in real samples

Bhim Bali Prasad, Rashmi Madhuri, Mahavir Prasad Tiwari, Piyush Sindhu Sharma

Electrochimica Acta (2010)

2) Enatioselective quantitative separation of D- and L-thyroxine by molecularly imprinted micro-solid phase extraction silver fiber coupled with complementary molecularly imprinted polymer-sensor

Bhim Bali Prasad, Mahavir Prasad Tiwari, Rashmi Madhuri, Piyush Sindhu Sharma

Journal of Chromatography A (2010)

3) Creatinine sensor based on a molecularly imprinted polymer-modified hanging mercury drop electrode

Dhana Lakshmi, Bhim Bali Prasad, Piyush Sindhu Sharma

Talanta (2006)

4) Highly selective and sensitive analysis of dopamine by molecularly imprinted stir bar sorptive extraction technique coupled with complementary molecularly imprinted polymer sensor

Bhim Bali Prasad, Amrita Srivastava, Mahavir Prasad Tiwari

Journal of Colloid and Interface Science (2013)

5) Molecularly imprinted polymer-matrix nanocomposite for enantioselective electrochemical sensing of D- and L-aspartic acid

Bhim Bali Prasad, Amrita Srivastava, Mahavir Prasad Tiwari

Materials Science and Engineering C (2013)

6) Highly sensitive and selective hyphenated technique (molecularly imprinted polymer solid-phase microextraction–molecularly imprinted polymer sensor) for ultra trace analysis of aspartic acid enantiomers

Bhim Bali Prasad, Amrita Srivastava, Mahavir Prasad Tiwari

Journal of Chromatography A (2013)

7) Development of molecularly imprinted polymer nanoarrays of N-acryloyl-2-mercaptobenzamide on a silver electrode for ultratrace sensing of uracil and 5-fluorouracil

Bhim Bali Prasad, Anil Kumar

Journal of Materials Chemistry B (2015)

8) Molecularly imprinted polymer-based piezoelectric sensor for enantio-selective analysis of malic acid isomers

Bhim Bali Prasad, Indu Pandey

Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical (2013)

9) Metal incorporated molecularly imprinted polymer-based electrochemical sensor for enantio-selective analysis of pyroglutamic acid isomers

Bhim Bali Prasad, Indu Pandey

Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical (2013)

10) A dual-ion imprinted polymer embedded in sol–gel matrix for the ultra trace simultaneous analysis of cadmium and copper

Bhim Bali Prasad, Darshika Jauhari, Archana Verma

Talanta (2014)

11) Barbituric Acid Sensor Based on Molecularly Imprinted Polymer- Modified Hanging Mercury Drop Electrode

Bhim Bali Prasad, Dhana Lakshmi

Electroanalysis (2005)

12) An insulin monitoring device based on hyphenation between molecularly imprinted micro-solid phase extraction and complementary molecularly imprinted polymer-sensor

Mahavir Prasad Tiwari, Bhim Bali Prasad

Journal of Chromatography A (2014)

13) A dual-template imprinted polymer-modified carbon ceramic electrode for ultra trace simultaneous analysis of ascorbic acid and dopamine

Bhim Bali Prasad, Darshika Jauhari, Mahavir Prasad Prasad Tiwari

Biosensors and Bioelectronics (2013)

14) Enantioselective recognition of D- and L-tryptophan by imprinted polymer-carbon composite fiber sensor

Bhim Bali Prasad, Rashmi Madhuri, Mahavir Prasad Tiwari, Piyush Sindhu Sharma

Talanta (2010)

15) Voltammetric sensor for barbituric acid based on a sol–gel derivated molecularly imprinted polymer brush grafted to graphite electrode

Amit Kumar Patel, Piyush Sindhu Sharma, Bhim Bali Prasad

International Journal of Pharmaceutics (2009)

16) Molecularly imprinted polymer-based solid-phase extraction combined with molecularly imprinted polymer-based sensor for detection of uric acid

Bhim Bali Prasad, Piyush Sindhu Sharma, Dhana Lakshmi

Journal of Chromatography A (2007)

17) Double Imprinting In A Single Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Format For The Determination Of Ascorbic Acid And Dopamine

Mahavir Prasad Tiwari, Rashmi Madhuri, Deepak Kumar, Darshika Jauhari, Bhim Bali Prasad

Advanced Materials Letters (2011)

18) Enantioselective separation and electrochemical sensing of D- and L-tryptophan at ultratrace level using molecularly imprinted micro-solid phase extraction fiber coupled with complementary molecularly imprinted polymer-fiber sensor

Bhim Bali Prasad, Mahavir Prasad Tiwari, Rashmi Madhuri, Piyush Sindhu Sharma

Journal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences (2011)

19) Imprinted polymer–carbon consolidated composite fiber sensor for substrate-selective electrochemical sensing of folic acid

Bhim Bali Prasad, Rashmi Madhuri, Mahavir Prasad Tiwari, Piyush Sindhu Sharma

Biosensors and Bioelectronics (2010)

20) Development of a highly sensitive and selective hyphenated technique (molecularly imprinted micro-solid phase extraction fiber–molecularly imprinted polymer fiber sensor) for ultratrace analysis of folic acid

Bhim Bali Prasad, Mahavir Prasad Tiwari, Rashmi Madhuri, Piyush Sindhu Sharma

Analytica Chimica Acta (2010)

21) Electrochemically imprinted molecular recognition sites on multiwalled carbon-nanotubes/pencil graphite electrode surface for enantioselective detection of d- and l-aspartic acid

Bhim Bali Prasad, Indu Pandey

Electrochimica Acta (2013)

22) An electroconducting copper (II) imprinted sensor using algae as cheap substitute of multiwalled carbon nanotubes

Bhim Bali Prasad, Kislay Singh

Electrochimica Acta (2016)

23) Electrochemical sensing of ultra trace copper(II) by alga-OMNiIIP modified pencil graphite electrode

Bhim Bali Prasad, Sana Fatma

Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical (2016)

24) Highly selective and sensitive analysis of γ-aminobutyric acid using a new molecularly imprinted polymer modified at the surface of abrasively immobilized multi-walled carbon nanotubes on pencil graphite electrode

Bhim Bali Prasad, Amrita Prasad, Mahavir Prasad Tiwari

Electrochimica Acta (2013)

25) Multiwalled carbon nanotubes embedded molecularly imprinted polymer-modified screen printed carbon electrode for the quantitative analysis of C-reactive protein

Deepak Kumar, Bhim Bali Prasad

Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical (2012)

26) Molecularly imprinted polymer-based core-shells (solid vs hollow) @ pencil graphite electrode for electrochemical sensing of certain anti-HIV drugs

Bhim Bali Prasad, Kislay Singh

Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical (2017)

27) Metal ion mediated imprinting for electrochemical enantioselective sensing of L-histidine at trace level

Bhim Bali Prasad, Deepak Kumar, Rashmi Madhuri, Mahavir Prasad Tiwari

Biosensors and Bioelectronics (2011)

28) Doubly imprinted polymer nanofilm-modified electrochemical sensor for ultra-trace simultaneous analysis of glyphosate and glufosinate

Bhim Bali Prasad, Darshika Jauhari, Mahavir Prasad Tiwari

Biosensors and Bioelectronics (2014)

29) Gold nanorods vs. gold nanoparticles: application in electrochemical sensing of cytosine β-d-arabinoside using metal ion mediated molecularly imprinted polymer

Bhim Bali Prasad, Ragini Singh, Anil Kumar

RSC Advances (2016)

30) Development of surface imprinted nanospheres using the inverse suspension polymerization method for electrochemical ultra sensing of dacarbazine

Bhim Bali Prasad, Purnendu Kumar Pathak

Analytica Chimica Acta (2017)

31) A new micro-contact imprinted l-cysteine sensor based on sol–gel decorated graphite/multiwalled carbon nanotubes/gold nanoparticles composite modified sandpaper electrode

Bhim Bali Prasad, Ragini Singh

Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical (2015)

32) Molecularly imprinted polymer-based electrochemical sensor using functionalized fullerene as a nanomediator for ultratrace analysis of primaquine

Bhim Bali Prasad, Anil Kumar, Ragini Singh

Carbon (2016) Not a corresponding author

33) Double-ion imprinted polymer @magnetic nanoparticles modified screen printed carbon electrode for simultaneous analysis of cerium and gadolinium ions

Bhim Bali Prasad, Darshika Jauhari

Analytica Chimica Acta (2015)

34) Molecularly imprinted micro solid-phase extraction technique coupled with complementary molecularly imprinted polymer-sensor for ultra trace analysis of epinephrine in real samples

Bhim Bali Prasad, Amrita Srivastava, Amrita Prasad, Mahavir Prasad Tiwari

Colloids and Surfaces B Biointerfaces (2014)

35) Development of water compatible imprinted polymer beads for piezoelectric sensing of ultra-trace 5,6-dihydrouracil in biological fluids

Bhim Bali Prasad, Anil Kumar, Ragini Singh

Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical (2016)

36) Synthesis of fullerene (C60-monoadduct)-based water-compatible imprinted micelles for electrochemical determination of chlorambucil

Bhim Bali Prasad, Ragini Singh, Anil Kumar

Biosensors and Bioelectronics (2017)

37) Ultra-trace analysis of d-and l-aspartic acid applying one-by-one approach on a dual imprinted electrochemical sensor

Bhim Bali Prasad, Swadha Jaiswal, Kislay Singh

Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical (2017)

38) Layer-by-layer assembled molecularly imprinted polymer modified silver electrode for enantioselective detection of D- and L-thyroxine

Bhim Bali Prasad, Rashmi Madhuri, Mahavir Prasad Tiwari, Piyush Sindhu Sharma

Analytica Chimica Acta (2010)

39) Development of imprinted polyneutral red/electrochemically reduced graphene oxide composite for ultra-trace sensing of 6-thioguanine

Bhim Bali Prasad, Ragini Singh, Anil Kumar

Carbon (2016)

40) Molecularly Imprinted Polymer-modified Electrochemical Sensor For Simultaneous Determination Of Copper And Zinc

Deepak Kumar, Rashmi Madhuri, Mahavir Prasad Tiwari, Pankhuri Sinha, Bhim Bali Prasad

Advanced Materials Letters (2011)

41) Development of highly electrocatalytic and electroconducting imprinted film using Ni nanomer for ultra-trace detection of thiamine

Bhim Bali Prasad, Richa Singh, Kislay Singh

Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical (2017)

42) Synthesis of novel monomeric graphene quantum dots and corresponding nanocomposite with molecularly imprinted polymer for electrochemical detection of an anticancerous ifosfamide drug

Bhim Bali Prasad, Anil Kumar, Ragini Singh

Biosensors and Bioelectronics (2017)

43) Trace-level sensing of creatine in real sample using a zwitterionic molecularly imprinted polymer brush grafted to sol–gel modified graphite electrode

Amit Kumar Patel, Piyush Sindhu Sharma, Bhim Bali Prasad

Thin Solid Films (2010)

44) Sol–gel derived multiwalled carbon nanotubes ceramic electrode modified with molecularly imprinted polymer for ultra trace sensing of dopamine in real samples

Bhim Bali Prasad, Deepak Kumar, Rashmi Madhuri, Mahavir Prasad Tiwari

Electrochimica Acta (2011)

45) One MoNomer doubly imprinted dendrimer nanofilm modified pencil graphite electrode for simultaneous electrochemical determination of norepinephrine and uric acid

Bhim Bali Prasad, Sana Fatma

Electrochimica Acta (2017)

46) Quantum dots-multiwalled carbon nanotubes nanoconjugate-modified pencil graphite electrode for ultratrace analysis of hemoglobin in dilute human blood samples

Bhim Bali Prasad, Amrita Prasad, Mahavir Prasad Tiwari

Talanta (2013)

47) Multiwalled carbon nanotubes bearing ‘terminal monomeric unit’ for the fabrication of epinephrine imprinted polymer-based electrochemical sensor

Bhim Bali Prasad, Amrita Prasad, Mahavir Prasad Tiwari, Rashmi Madhuri

Biosensors and Bioelectronics (2013)

48) Biomimetic Piezoelectric Quartz Sensor For Folic Acid Based On A Molecular Imprinting Technology

Rashmi Madhuri, Mahavir Prasad Tiwari, Deepak Kumar, Aparna Mukharji, Bhim Bali Prasad

Advanced Materials Letters (2011)

49) A dual-template biomimetic molecularly imprinted dendrimer-based piezoelectric sensor for ultratrace analysis of organochlorine pesticides

Bhim Bali Prasad, Darshika Jauhari

Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical (2015)

50) Ascorbic acid imprinted polymer-modified graphite electrode: A diagnostic sensor for hypovitaminosis C at ultra trace ascorbic acid level

Bhim Bali Prasad, Deepak Kumar, Rashmi Madhuri, Mahavir Prasad Tiwari

Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical (2011)

51) Electrochemical sensor for folic acid based on a hyperbranched molecularly imprinted polymer-immobilized sol–gel-modified pencil graphite electrode

Bhim Bali Prasad, Rashmi Madhuri, Mahavir Prasad Tiwari, Piyush Sindhu Sharma

Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical (2010)