Anna University: Half of TN engineering colleges used fake faculty for affiliation; FIR names senior officials

The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) has filed an FIR against 17 accused, including 10 senior inspection and affiliation officials of Anna University, for allegedly approving fake faculty lists. In one of the largest higher education frauds recorded in Tamil Nadu, nearly 47% of engineering colleges in the state were found to have been involved in “conspiracy and cheating”.

The FIR states that the inspection directors, deputy directors, and academic administrators colluded with private colleges by clearing “duplicate, repeat, and non-existent” faculty during 2023-24. The malpractice was not an isolated incident, as 224 out of 480 colleges had listed repeat or “dummy” professors during 2023-24.

Two institutions alone — Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan College of Engineering and Technology and TJ Institute of Technology — showed 34 and 33 full-time faculty members who were simultaneously employed in other colleges. DVAC said that the malpractice amounted to a complete break of trust, criminal conspiracy, and cheating.

Who has been named in FIR?

The FIR also named three officials — S Marichamy, shown as faculty in 11 colleges; S Kannan, duplicated across two colleges on May 18, 2023; and Y Ravikumar duplicated on May 26, 2023, Careers360 learnt.

Additionally, four institutions — Prathyusha Engineering College, Thiruvallur; Sri Venkateshwara College of Engineering and Technology, Thiruvallur; Madha Engineering College, Kancheepuram; and Kathir College of Engineering, Coimbatore – have been named for submitting fake staffing claims to secure affiliation certificate without scrutiny.

Arappor Iyakkam, a civic group, that previously exposed the irregularities in the affiliation process, had flagged 13,861 faculty IDs on the Centre for Affiliation of Institutions (CAI) that were suspicious, Careers360 earlier reported the findings during the TNEA counselling , conducted for engineering admission.

How did Anna University’s inspection fail?

The DVAC’s report showed that the inspection committee of Anna University failed to check the name, original Aadhaar card, PAN card, educational qualification certificates, and other relevant records of the faculty members. The team submitted reports that “knowingly misrepresented” the faculty strength, granted affiliation to ineligible colleges, and “played a major role in cheating”.

Anna University was established in Tamil Nadu on September 4, 1978. In 2001, Anna University was converted to an affiliating-type of university and in 2012, it was again converted by bringing in all the engineering colleges in the state under one umbrella to standardize the engineering education.

The Centre for Affiliation of Institutions (CAI) in Anna University was established with the objective of verifying the fulfillment of norms for the grant of affiliation to the technical Institutions throughout Tamil Nadu under the jurisdiction of Anna University, Chennai; scrutinising the inspection reports; suggest criteria; and making decisions on the grant of affiliation.

“The senior officials of Anna University’s Centre for Affiliation Institution (CAI) have colluded with the Inspection team / Engineering Colleges and have approved the affiliation of the ineligible college for the year 2023-2024.

Arappor Iyakkam’s demands

Arappor Iyakkam has demanded a thorough investigation and the filing of a chargesheet without delay. It has also urged that:

• All future affiliation inspections must be conducted with full transparency,
• Authenticity of professors’ salary records, certificates, and other documents must be verified.
• All government benefits granted to the colleges involved in fraud must be withdrawn.
• Inspection reports for 2024–25 and the current 2025–26 academic year must be published immediately on the Anna University website.
• Monthly online verification was not conducted in October. This monthly verification must continue without any obstacles or unexplained interruptions.