NGO watchdog, Legal Rights Protection Forum (LRPF), has appealed to the National Human Rights Commission to take action against Loyola College in Chennai for allegedly denying non-Christian students equal access to education. The forum claims that the college is violating fundamental rights by not offering the M.A. Philosophy course (affiliated with the University of Madras) to non-Christians, instead reserving it exclusively for Christian students, displaying favoritism and discrimination.
In a social media post, the Legal Rights Protection Forum stated, “Urged @India_NHRC to take strict action against Loyola College, Chennai for religious discrimination—offering M.A. Philosophy (in affiliation with UoM) exclusively to Christian students, denying non-Christians equal educational opportunities & violating their fundamental rights.”
Urged @India_NHRC to take strict action against Loyola College, Chennai for religious discrimination—offering M.A. Philosophy (in affiliation with UoM) exclusively to Christian students, denying non-Christians equal educational opportunities & violating their fundamental rights https://t.co/jsaZTLBliP pic.twitter.com/h6d7VoyIT3
— Legal Rights Protection Forum (@lawinforce) April 5, 2025
This request comes amid an ongoing scandal involving Loyola College, which the LRPF has been addressing. Despite the college’s affiliation with the University of Madras, no action has been taken by the university regarding these allegations. Previously, the LRPF raised a complaint against the Registrar of the University of Madras, Prof. S. Elumalai, accusing him of endorsing large-scale academic fraud linked to Loyola College. The complaint, submitted to the Governor of Tamil Nadu, calls for disciplinary action against the registrar and the cancellation of M.A. Philosophy degree certificates issued fraudulently under the university’s name.
The complaint alleges that Loyola College has been running its M.A. Philosophy program at an unapproved off-campus location, Satya Nilayam, a Jesuit missionary training center. Despite this, students at Satya Nilayam allegedly received degrees bearing the University of Madras’s official logo, in violation of university rules.
Key Allegations In The Complaint
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Unauthorized Off-Campus Operations: The M.A. Philosophy program, officially affiliated with Loyola College, is allegedly being conducted at Satya Nilayam, which is not an approved campus under the University of Madras.
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Manipulation of Online Records: Following the previous complaint filed on February 27, 2025, Satya Nilayam allegedly removed all references to Loyola College from its official website—an attempt to erase evidence of wrongdoing. However, digital archives like the Wayback Machine retain historical records, confirming the prior affiliation.
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Fraudulent Issuance of Degrees: The complaint includes a copy of an M.A. Philosophy degree certificate issued in 2005 under the name of the University of Madras to a student enrolled at Satya Nilayam instead of Loyola College.
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Failure of University Oversight: The University of Madras allegedly failed to conduct mandatory inspections of Loyola College’s campus, leading to unchecked violations. Additionally, an RTI response from 2023 shockingly revealed that the university had “lost” the original affiliation order for Loyola College.
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Potential National Security Violations: The forum claims that Loyola College has been inviting foreign nationals under the pretense of academic studies but instead providing missionary training at Satya Nilayam—a possible breach of Indian visa regulations and a national security concern.
The Legal Rights Protection Forum has urged the Tamil Nadu Governor to:
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Initiate disciplinary proceedings against the Registrar of the University of Madras for failing to prevent or investigate the alleged fraud.
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Cancel all M.A. Philosophy degrees issued by Loyola College since 1998 under the University of Madras’ name.
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Direct law enforcement agencies to investigate and register an FIR against Loyola College management for academic fraud and misuse of university credentials.
Despite the severity of the allegations, neither Loyola College nor the University of Madras has issued an official statement in response to the complaint. Academic circles and student communities are now demanding greater transparency and accountability in the university’s affiliation policies.
As the controversy unfolds, the Tamil Nadu government and higher education authorities are expected to take cognizance of the issue, with many calling for an independent inquiry into the matter.
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