On-campus faculty pics, UIDs in Anna University’s norms to track ‘ghosts’

CHENNAI: Anna University has rolled out stringent affiliation guidelines for engineering colleges for the 2026-27 academic year, in the backdrop of the ghost faculty controversy that exposed large-scale irregularities in faculty records.

The action follows findings by Arappor Iyakkam, which revealed that 353 individuals were listed as working in multiple colleges during the 2023-24 academic year. A subsequent internal inquiry by the university found that over 1,000 faculty positions were filled using fake identities in 2024-25.

Acting on the findings, the university issued show-cause notices to 140 engineering colleges for falsifying faculty details. Administrative changes were also carried out, including the replacement of the Registrar and other officials, following the registration of a case by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption in connection with the issue.

As part of the revised guidelines for the 2026-27 academic year, colleges are now required to upload complete faculty details through an online system. Faculty photographs must be geotagged and captured within the college campus; images taken outside will be rejected. The university has stated that applications failing to comply with these requirements will not be considered.

Each faculty member will be assigned a unique 10-digit Faculty Identification Number for all official purposes. College principals are required to verify faculty credentials using biometric authentication linked to Aadhaar.

Institutions must also submit approvals from the All India Council for Technical Education, along with details of infrastructure, laboratory facilities, and student intake. Applications that are incomplete or delayed will be rejected.

Assistant professors must possess BE or BTech and ME or MTech degrees, while a PhD is mandatory for associate professors, along with a first class in either undergraduate or postgraduate studies. Qualification criteria for professors and principals have also been specified.