NGO files complaint over discrepancies in affiliation process of Tamil Nadu private teacher education colleges

A Non Government Organisation (NGO) has raised allegations over the affiliation inspection records of private teacher education colleges affiliated with the Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University (TNTEU) for the academic years 2023-24 and 2024-25, The Hindu reported.

Notably, the NGO Arappor Iyakkam, has filed a complaint with the Tamil Nadu government over the discrepancies in the affiliation process of private teacher education colleges, the report said.

The complaint comes after the NGO gathered records under the Right to Information Act, 2005, and found that at least 15 inspection committee conveners held in-person inspections in two or five colleges on the same day of March 29, 2023, the report read.

M Radhakrishnan of Arappor Iyakkam, stated, in the report: “The complaint said one of the conveners conducted in-person inspections at five colleges on the same day. What was baffling was the fact that the total distance between these colleges stood at over 500 km.”

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'37 faculty members with same names across 222 college entries'

The report further mentioned that at least 22 members of the inspection committees also conducted in-person inspections in two colleges on the same day despite the distance between the colleges being too far to be covered in a single day.

Moreover, five professors have been identified as principals of two colleges during the same period, the report read.

“It also found that the names of 37 faculty members, with the same names or initials, appeared across 222 college entries. One of the names (including initial), interestingly, appears in 11 college entries, while at least four other names appear in eight college entries each,” it added.

It further added that the discrepancies raise “serious” questions that should be verified against original records, and the NGO urged the government to conduct an independent inquiry into inspection reports, videos, attendance registers, travel and expense records, the faculty appointment, and the salary records, the report said.

It has also demanded an investigation into the management of 74 colleges that received affiliation during 2023-24 and 2024-25, the report read.