Anna University to rely on govt's fact-finding team on ghost faculties issue
The committee will be constituted by the Higher Education Department for the final report to take against the offenders. A decision in this regard was taken at the syndicate meeting of the university recently.
Anna University
CHENNAI: With the Standing Committee on Affiliation (SCA) of Anna University's recommendations, in connection with the duplication of faculty in affiliated colleges, not satisfying, the university's highest decision-making syndicate body has decided to rely on a fact-finding committee.
The committee will be constituted by the Higher Education Department for the final report to take against the offenders. A decision in this regard was taken at the syndicate meeting of the university recently.
After the anti-corruption outfit Arappor Iyakkam unearthed the scam and identified several hundred faculties working at multiple colleges, the university conducted a detailed investigation and found over 40 affiliated colleges were indulging in the attendance offences.
"The syndicate -- after detailed deliberations on the recommendations of SCA about the issues associated with duplication of faculty -- was not satisfied with the reports. Hence, the Syndicate directed to place the recommendation of SCA on this matter to the fact-finding committee for its perusal," a senior professor quoting the minutes of the meeting, seeking anonymity, told DT Next.
Stating that the report of the fact-finding committee would be tabled in the forthcoming syndicate meeting, he said the members also appreciated the improvements made in the Centre for Affiliation of Institutions (CAI) portal wherein all the existing loopholes concerning duplication of faculty had been identified.
The professor said that it was a matter of concern whether approval should be given for certain engineering colleges that have not submitted the structural stability certificate from the concerned officials.
In connection with the fact-finding team's plan, other sources from Anna University said, "The panel will not expose their probe initiative since there would be political interference in this issue".
However, sources said that action would be definitely initiated against the offenders besides the university will also ensure that these types of irregularities would not happen in the future for the benefit of the students.
While scrutinising the status of payment of subscriptions by self-financing engineering colleges, the syndicate meeting also expressed concern that only Rs 6 crores were collected from a few institutions against the estimated outlay of Rs 30 crore.
