Panel formed to probe fraud by pvt colleges linked to Anna university
Chennai based NGO Arappor Iyakkam on Tuesday had exposed the alleged irregularities in the affiliation process of private engineering colleges to Anna university
A three-member high-level committee has been formed to probe allegations of fraud committed by private engineering colleges affiliated to Chennai’s Anna University, officials in the know of the matter said.
The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) on Friday nominated Usha Natesan, director of National Institute of Technical Teachers’ Training and Research (NITTR) Anna University nominated N Kumaravel, professor of eminence in the electronics department and the state government nominated T Abraham, Directorate of Technical Education commissioner, a senior official of the higher education department said.
“The committee’s inquiry will begin next week against more than 60 private colleges who are involved. The colleges may even face suspension of affiliation,” Anna University vice chancellor R Velraj told HT.
The university has submitted a report to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) ruled state government and to the Raj Bhavan as the governor is the chancellor of the university.
“Faculty will be inquired as to why they have indulged in forgery by giving fake Aadhar and PAN numbers. Disciplinary action will be initiated against them. Based on the college’s request, these individuals have yielded so the colleges will face more severe punishment,” Velraj said.
Chennai based NGO Arappor Iyakkam on Tuesday had exposed the alleged irregularities in the affiliation process of private engineering colleges to Anna university. More than 353 faculty were found to be in the payrolls of more than one college. On Wednesday, the Anna University released its own findings which revealed that 211 faculty members have been filling in for 2,500 positions in various colleges across Tamil Nadu this year.
“There is a minimum faculty requirement to be met by colleges to get affiliation which is why they seem to have done this,” Velraj said, adding that one faculty member was found in the records of 32 colleges and another in 10 colleges simultaneously –at least on paper.
“The NGO found that they had used fake Aadhar and PAN entries. We had not expected that. So we checked another possibility which is forgery using their date of birth and we could immediately find the errors. We have reported this to the government, governor and AICTE,” Velraj added.