VTU thesis plagiarism requirements: limits and how the check works

The rules most universities apply

The UGC (Promotion of Academic Integrity and Prevention of Plagiarism in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2018 set four levels for theses and dissertations, measured after exclusions:

• Level 0, up to 10%: minor similarity, no penalty.
• Level 1, above 10% to 40%: revised script within up to six months.
• Level 2, above 40% to 60%: barred from submitting a revised script for one year.
• Level 3, above 60%: registration for the programme cancelled.

In practice this means you should aim for 10% or lower before you submit. Some departments set a stricter internal limit, and some also check chapters separately, so confirm with your guide and the research section.

Which software is used

Most state and central universities use DrillBit, provided through INFLIBNET's ShodhShuddhi programme; some also use Turnitin or Ouriginal. Different tools give different percentages for the same file, which is why a check with the same software your university uses is the most useful.

What is excluded

Under the regulations: quoted and acknowledged material, references and bibliography, table of contents, preface and acknowledgements, and generic terms, laws, standard symbols and equations. Ask the person running the check to apply these exclusions.

A pre-submission checklist

• Every borrowed idea has a citation; every verbatim sentence is in quotation marks.
• Publications from your own research are declared and cited (see self-plagiarism guide).
• The literature review synthesises sources in your own words instead of summarising them one by one.
• Formatting follows the VTU thesis template and your citation style is consistent.
• You have run a check with the same software and settings your university uses.

More: thesis formatting FAQ · pricing

This guide is general information. Always follow your own university's current regulations and your supervisor's advice.