How to Check Plagiarism in Your Project Report or Thesis (India Guide)
If you're submitting a final-year project report, a master's dissertation or a PhD thesis in India, you'll probably need a plagiarism (similarity) report before your college accepts it. This guide explains the rules, what the percentage really means, and how to bring it down honestly, without last-minute panic.
Rules differ between universities and change over time. Always check your own university's current policy and ask your guide or library if you're unsure.
The UGC rules in simple words
In 2018 the UGC (University Grants Commission) published the Promotion of Academic Integrity and Prevention of Plagiarism in Higher Educational Institutions Regulations. They mainly cover research work like M.Phil and PhD theses and dissertations, and many universities use them as a model for other reports too.
They set four levels of similarity:
| Level | Similarity | What it means for a student's thesis |
|---|---|---|
| Level 0 | Up to 10% | Minor similarity, no penalty |
| Level 1 | Above 10% to 40% | Submit a revised version within a set time (up to 6 months) |
| Level 2 | Above 40% to 60% | Can't submit a revised script for one year |
| Level 3 | Above 60% | Registration for the programme cancelled |
So for research work, 10% or below is the number most students aim for. For undergraduate project reports, many colleges set their own limit (often similar). Ask your department.
What's NOT counted in the similarity
Under the regulations, these are excluded from the similarity count:
- Quoted text with proper credit (permission or citation)
- References, bibliography, table of contents, preface and acknowledgements
- Generic terms, laws, standard symbols and standard equations
- All ideas, findings and statements properly credited
In practice, check whether your library excludes the bibliography and quotes when it runs your report. Many tools have settings for this, and it can change your percentage a lot.
Which tools do Indian universities use?
Many universities use commercial tools such as Turnitin or DrillBit. Some get access through INFLIBNET's ShodhShuddhi programme. These tools compare your report against web pages, published papers and their own database of previously submitted theses, which free online tools can't see.
That means a free checker is great for finding and fixing problems early, but your library's official report is the one that counts. If your library lets you submit a draft early, do it.
Step-by-step: checking your report before submission
1. Start with the high-risk chapters
Most similarity in project reports comes from the same few places:
- Introduction and literature review: definitions and background copied from papers or websites
- Methodology: standard descriptions of methods copied from a paper
- Company or organisation profile (for internship and MBA reports), often copied from the company website
- Technical background (for engineering projects), like explanations of algorithms or components taken from tutorials
2. Run those sections through a checker
Paste a section into a plagiarism checker that shows where each match came from. EssayWiz's free plan checks up to 200 words at a time, so go section by section, starting with the chapters above. It searches websites and book collections (Google Books, Project Gutenberg and the Internet Archive).
3. Fix each match properly
- Exact copy you need word for word (a definition, a legal clause): put it in quotation marks and cite it.
- Background you copied: close the source, rewrite it from your own understanding, and cite it. See how to paraphrase without plagiarizing.
- Company profile: summarise it in a few lines in your own words and cite the company website, instead of pasting pages of "About us."
- Common phrases ("the objective of this study is"): usually harmless, leave them.
4. Get your references right
Every source in your text needs an entry in the bibliography, in the style your university asks for (often APA). A correct, complete reference list also helps the checker exclude matches properly.
5. Do a final full check
Before the library check, read through once more for grammar and clarity. Our Essay Check gives you plagiarism %, AI-written % and grammar in one go for each section.
Honest ways to lower your similarity
- Write the literature review as your analysis: compare authors, say who agrees and who doesn't. Don't just summarise one paper after another.
- Cut long background sections. Examiners care more about your work than textbook theory.
- Use your own data, diagrams and results. They are entirely yours and add no similarity.
- Quote less and explain more.
What not to do
- Don't swap letters for look-alike symbols, insert hidden text, or paste text as images to trick the checker. Libraries and guides know these tricks, and getting caught is far worse than a high percentage.
- Don't pay someone to "reduce plagiarism" by spinning your report. Spun text reads badly and can still be flagged.
- Don't leave it to the last day. Rewriting a literature review properly takes time.
FAQ
What is the allowed plagiarism percentage in India? Under the UGC 2018 regulations for research work such as theses and dissertations, similarity up to 10% is treated as minor with no penalty. Universities can set their own rules for other reports, so check your department's policy.
Is the bibliography counted in the plagiarism percentage? Under the UGC regulations, references, bibliography, table of contents, preface, acknowledgements and properly quoted text are excluded. Ask your library whether these are excluded in the settings they use.
Will a free plagiarism checker show the same result as my university? Not exactly. University tools also compare against private databases of submitted theses, which free tools cannot see. Use a free checker to find and fix problems early, then rely on your library's official report.
How can I reduce plagiarism in my project report honestly? Rewrite copied background in your own words and cite it, quote exact wording that must stay, shorten long theory sections, and add more of your own analysis, data and results.
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