The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) has filed a First Information Report (FIR) against 17 individuals, including 10 senior inspection and affiliation officials of Anna University. The FIR alleges approval of fake faculty lists, implicating nearly 47% of engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu in a significant higher education fraud during the 2023-24 academic year .
DVAC investigations revealed a conspiracy and cheating operation involving 224 out of 480 colleges. These institutions reportedly submitted “duplicate, repeat, and non-existent” faculty names to secure affiliation without proper scrutiny.
Malpractice Uncovered
Inspection directors, deputy directors, and academic administrators at Anna University allegedly colluded with private colleges. This collusion facilitated the clearance of ineligible faculty submissions. Two institutions are highlighted as examples of the malpractice:
- Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan College of Engineering and Technology: This institution listed 34 full-time faculty members who were simultaneously employed in other colleges.
- TJ Institute of Technology: This institution listed 33 full-time faculty members similarly employed elsewhere.
DVAC stated that these actions constitute a complete break of trust, criminal conspiracy, and cheating.
Accused Individuals and Institutions
The FIR specifically names several individuals for alleged faculty duplication:
- S Marichamy: Documented as faculty in 11 different colleges.
- S Kannan: Duplicated across two colleges on May 18, 2023 .
- Y Ravikumar: Duplicated across multiple colleges on May 26, 2023 .
Additionally, the FIR names four specific engineering colleges for allegedly submitting fake staffing claims to secure affiliation certificates:
- Prathyusha Engineering College, Thiruvallur
- Sri Venkateshwara College of Engineering and Technology, Thiruvallur
- Madha Engineering College, Kancheepuram
- Kathir College of Engineering, Coimbatore
Anna University’s Inspection Failures
The DVAC report detailed systemic failures within Anna University’s inspection committee. The committee reportedly failed to verify crucial faculty information. This includes names, original Aadhaar and PAN cards, and educational qualification certificates. Inspection teams “knowingly misrepresented” actual faculty strength. This led to granting affiliation to ineligible colleges and contributed significantly to the fraudulent scheme.
Anna University, established in 1978 , became an affiliating university in 2001 . By 2012 , it brought all Tamil Nadu engineering colleges under its purview to standardize engineering education. The Centre for Affiliation of Institutions (CAI) at Anna University is responsible for verifying affiliation norms and scrutinizing inspection reports. Senior CAI officials are implicated in colluding with inspection teams and colleges to approve ineligible affiliations for the 2023-24 academic year.
Civic Group Exposes Irregularities
Arappor Iyakkam, a civic group, had previously flagged irregularities in the affiliation process. The group identified 13,861 suspicious faculty IDs on the CAI system. Arappor Iyakkam had reported these findings during the TNEA counselling for engineering admissions.
Arappor Iyakkam Demands Action
Arappor Iyakkam has called for a thorough investigation and the immediate filing of a chargesheet. Their specific demands include:
- Conducting all future affiliation inspections with full transparency.
- Verifying the authenticity of professors’ salary records, certificates, and other relevant documents.
- Withdrawing all government benefits granted to colleges found involved in the fraud.
- Immediately publishing inspection reports for the 2024–25 and 2025–26 academic years on the Anna University website.
- Ensuring uninterrupted monthly online verification, noting a reported interruption in October.