CHENNAI: A day after anti-graft NGO Arappor Iyakkam alleged that over 353 individuals have been simultaneously employed as full-time faculty by multiple private engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu, Anna University has released its own findings revealing that as many as 211 faculty members have been filling in for 2,500 positions in multiple colleges during the current academic year.
To ensure a fair probe into the matter and punish all those involved, Anna University, which is the affiliating university for engineering colleges in the state, will soon form a high-level probe committee. Officials from AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education) and the state higher education department will be members of the committee, sources said. Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K Ponmudi, too, has sought a detailed report from the university on the scam.
R Velraj, vice-chancellor of Anna University, said, “Our team has found the names of 211 persons working as full time faculty members in 3 to 30 engineering colleges, filling in for a vacancy of 2,500 faculty members. On an average, one person was found working in 10 colleges at the same time. We have also found a case where one faculty member is shown in records of 32 colleges.” Of the 52,500 faculty members registered with the 433 affiliated engineering colleges, duplication was found in 2,500 cases, Velraj said.
According to Arappor Iyakkam, there were 353 duplicate faculty entries in 2023-24. The university’s findings, however, said that there were only 184 faculty members involved. “As per our findings, last year, 184 were involved in the duplication. Since the number of seats has increased by 22,000, the number of duplicate teachers too may have gone up,” an official said. Notably, the university started using candidates’ dates of birth to identify duplicates only after the NGO raised the allegation.
‘Colleges intentionally provided us fake docus’
Downplaying the involvement of officials in the scam, Velraj said during inspection they only checked Aadhar and PAN card numbers of the faculty members and they were unique.
“The colleges have intentionally provided us with fake documents which amounts to forgery. The probe committee will decide if we need to file a police complaint in the matter,” he said. As the Tamil Nadu Engineering Admissions (TNEA) counselling is under way, officials said the investigation process will be expedited.
“Most of the colleges involved in the scam are tier II and III colleges and students will only opt for them in the second round.
We will attempt to complete the probe by then,” another university official said. Anna University is also contemplating debarring those found guilty of working as faculty in multiple colleges.
Senior Anna University officials told TNIE strict action will be initiated against colleges too.