The Jason Arday controversy: Explaining the University of Cambridge scandal rocking British academia

It's the scandal rocking the highest spheres of British academia, one involving plagiarism allegations, fantastical claims, and not only the downfall of a supposed prodigy but a scathing indictment of one of the UK's most prestigious educational institutions.
It all centers on Jason Arday, a professor of sociology of education who has resigned from his post at the University of Cambridge after the university launched an inquiry into his "academic qualifications and honorary appointments".