Anna University is set to ban over 2,000 faculty members from engineering colleges for falsifying their credentials and holding positions in multiple institutions for one to ten years. Additionally, the university plans to revoke affiliations of more than 30 engineering colleges implicated in these practices, according to a source.
Engineering colleges are required by AICTE norms to maintain a faculty-to-student ratio of 1:20. However, to cut costs, many institutions allegedly listed fake faculty members. Arappor Iyakkam, an anti-corruption organization, uncovered that 353 faculty members were employed at multiple colleges during the 2023-24 academic year. Investigators found that these individuals and the colleges involved used falsified Aadhaar numbers to facilitate employment across several institutions.
An internal investigation by the university for the 2024-25 academic year revealed over 2,000 cases of fake faculty appointments, with one individual employed by as many as 32 colleges. Consequently, the university issued notices to over 290 colleges and the implicated faculty members. Despite this, only 25% of the faculty appeared for the inquiry.
The university syndicate, while proposing penalties for those involved, has referred the matter to a high-level three-member committee for further review. Arappor Iyakkam’s convenor, Jayaram Venkatesan, has called for immediate action to deter such practices. He stressed that Anna University should hold its inspection teams accountable and ensure measures like verifying payslips to confirm faculty employment.
Background
An investigation in 2024 by Anna University and anti-corruption NGO Arappor Iyakkam uncovered widespread malpractice involving “ghost faculty” in private engineering colleges affiliated with the university in Tamil Nadu. The investigation revealed that during the 2023-24 academic year, 676 faculty members were employed as full-time staff across multiple institutions, with some listed at more than ten colleges. Among these, 20 individuals were repeat offenders, including one faculty member who appeared on the payrolls of 22 colleges.
This malpractice was more widespread than previously reported, with 686 such cases identified in the 2022-23 academic year. The investigation, which analyzed a database of 52,500 teachers, led Anna University to blacklist the involved faculty members and issue show-cause notices to 295 implicated colleges. The investigation also linked several colleges to prominent political figures, including former and current MLAs and MPs from major parties like DMK, AIADMK, PMK, and Congress.
(With inputs from Times Of India)
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