CHENNAI: Nearly a year after its formation, the three-member inquiry committee set up by the higher education department to probe the ghost faculty scam in private engineering colleges submitted its report at the Anna University syndicate meeting on Saturday. The panel recommended action against the implicated colleges, reigniting calls for strict measures Academicians and anti-corruption activists have questioned why decisive action has not yet been taken against over 200 colleges, even as Anna University relieved senior officials to facilitate a transparent Directorate of Vigilance and Anti- Corruption (DVAC) probe.
According to syndicate members, the committee recommended proceedings against colleges, including penalties, suspension of courses, and action against management. Yet, more than a year since the scam surfaced, the state government has taken litt l e action against the institutions. The syndicate has relieved 11 university officials — including Registrar J Prakash, Director of Affiliation VR Giri Dev, a former registrar appointed as director, three affiliation zonal coordinators, and deputy directors — to enable the DVAC inquiry.
A faculty member said, “There were administrative lapses in affiliation and faculty verification. Hence action has been initiated against these officials.” Critics, however, argue that these measures target university staff while hundreds of college managements that allegedly submitted falsified documentation remain untouched. Academics and activists note that the NGO exposé and inquiry report were available well before the current admission cycle ended.
“The inquiry panel was given a week to submit its report. It is obvious the report came much before admissions, yet authorities still allowed these colleges to participate in this year’s counselling process,” said a faculty member. The controversy erupted after NGO Arappor Iyakkam exposed that scores of teachers were listed as full-time faculty at multiple colleges. The internal probe reportedly found roughly 2,000 dubious faculty entries. Jayaram Venkatesan, convenor of Arappor, said,
“The scam raised serious questions about the future of thousands of students. Still, it was handled very carelessly by the state government. We will take legal action if appropriate action is not taken.” Meanwhile, the Anna University Syndicate recommended overruling the governor’s order revoking the suspension of former Vice-Chancellor R Velraj, citing lack of power to supersede a syndicate order. Higher Education Secretary P Shankar could not be reached for comment.
