CHENNAI: The three-member high-level committee constituted by Anna University is all set to unearth 'ghost faculty' working in multiple colleges. The panel will scrutinise the details of all faculty members and out the exact number of offenders soon.

According to the university’s syndicate, 2,000 faculty members who have indulged in attendance irregularities will be suspended.

After anti-corruption outfit Arappor Iyakkam unearthed the scam and identified several hundred faculties working at multiple colleges, the university conducted a detailed probe and found more than 40 affiliated colleges were indulging in the attendance offences.

However, the professors at Anna University, citing political interference, pressed that the investigation should not take too long. They added that most of the engineering colleges affiliated with the university are owned by various political functionaries.

“Till now there are no clear statistics on the faculty members who have signed attendance in various colleges by producing fake identities,” said a senior professor from the institution, seeking anonymity.

Pointing out that professors at Anna University and its department institutions cannot question the management or syndicate members directly as the issue was related to affiliated engineering colleges, he said. “At present, the matter is with the three-member probe committee headed by the Directorate of Technical Education (DOTE) authority,” he said, adding, "If there is no interference from any quarters, the panel can exercise its power to suspend the offenders within a short period.”

Echoing similar views, Arappor Iyakkam representative Radhakrishnan told DT Next that "we have unearthed the issue six months back. But there is no clear picture from the university to date.”

Demanding speedy action and statistics of the offenders, he said, “Similarly, the university should expedite the probe and also cancel the affiliation of the engineering colleges involved, because the new affiliation process is expected to begin between February and March this year.”