CHENNAI: The higher education department is examining complaints of large-scale irregularities in granting affiliation to private teacher education colleges by the Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University (TNTEU) between 2023 and 2025. Arappor Iyakkam, which raised the allegations, has sought a detailed government inquiry into discrepancies in inspection records.
The organisation has stated that names of 37 faculty members, having the same name and initials, have been accounted for in 222 places in the university’s approved list of faculty members, suggesting these fictitious faculty work in multiple colleges. One faculty member, S Suresh, was listed in as many as 11 colleges, it alleged.
According to documents obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, Arappor said it found discrepancies in the inspection records of 74 colleges that applied for affiliation from 2023 to 2025. The organisation questioned how inspection committees assessed colleges when university records showed teams visiting several colleges in different districts on the same day.
In one instance, an inspection committee headed by M Rajakumar, an assistant professor at Government College of Education, Vellore, was recorded as having inspected five colleges in Perambalur, Thiruvallur, Tiruchy and Thoothukudi on March 29, 2023. Arappor said the colleges were nearly 560 km apart and that travelling between the locations would take about 11 hours. It also claimed that five professors had been approved as principals in 10 colleges, indicating that the same individuals were listed as principals of two institutions at the same time.
Arappor also questioned the composition of inspection committees, pointing out that in several cases, the convenors and members were principals of other private colleges. “This is completely illegal. How can the principal of one private college inspect the affiliation of another private college?” said coordinator N Radhakrishnan. The organisation has sought criminal and departmental action against colleges found to have submitted forged documents.
Higher Education Secretary Dheeraj Kumar said the department is verifying the allegations. “We are examining the contents of the complaints and, if they are verified, we will initiate an inquiry and take appropriate action,” he told TNIE.