AU ghost faculty: NGO holds stir alleging govt inaction
Volunteers of the organisation lit candles and observed a moment of silence, condemning the three-member committee formed to probe the scam for failing to release a report or act against those involved.
"The committee was set up two days after we exposed the scam, and the govt ordered that a detailed report be submitted within a week. However, even after a year passed, the report was not released, nor was any action taken against those responsible," said Jayaram Venkatesan, convenor, Arappor Iyakkam.
The scam involved 353 ghost faculty members who were found employed at the same time in several engineering colleges, affiliated with
Anna University
, in the academic year 2023–24. According to the NGO, the colleges presented fake or temporary staff during inspections, often paying individuals to pose as faculty.
You Can Also Check:
Chennai AQI
|
Weather in Chennai
|
Bank Holidays in Chennai
|
Public Holidays in Chennai
"The fact that when the committee visited the colleges for inquiry, people were hired to impersonate teachers shows the brazenness of the scam. It's the students who suffer in the end," said M Radhakrishnan, another member of the NGO.
The organization also accused the Anna University of shielding errant officials. It also questioned Governor RN Ravi for allegedly blocking an investigation against former vice chancellor R Velraj.
Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with
Friendship Day wishes
,
messages
and
quotes
!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
Tirunelveli MP appeals to Minister to restore benefits of Anna University Regional Office staff
Member of Parliament C. Robert Bruce has appealed to Minister for Higher Education Govi Chezhiaan to restore the suspended benefits to the non-teaching staff and the consolidated pay workers of Anna University's Tirunelveli Regional Office while regularising the services of the latter. In the memorandum submitted to the minister, Mr. Robert Bruce said 54 non-teaching staff working in the Anna University Constituent Colleges in Tirunelveli, Nagercoil and Thoothukudi, who were getting 6th Pay Commission Pay with all other benefits since 2008 are not given benefits like earned leave, medical leave, maternity leave, annual increment etc. since 2016 after the Anna Universities in Tirunelveli, Tiruchi and Coimbatore were annexed with Anna University, Chennai. Even though the Sheela Balakrishnan Committee had recommended in favour of continuing these benefits and their service registers were re-checked for reinstating these benefits, there is no further progress in this process. Hence, the suspended benefits should be given to them. The MP said 53 persons – 29 in Tirunelveli, 8 in Thoothukudi and 16 in Nagercoil - were working as sanitary workers, office assistants, junior assistants, technical assistants, assistant librarians and physical education trainers under then Anna University in 2011. After being posted as 'daily wage workers in 2011, they were given consolidated pay from 2012 with incentive. After the Anna University was annexed with Anna University, Chennai and the entity at Tirunelveli was rechristened as 'Anna University Regional Office' without regularising the services of the consolidated pay workers. To make things worse, they are being given break for 5 days after serving for 6 months and posted again after getting fresh applications from them so that they would not have any legal backing to claim rights for permanent post. Hence, the Minister should considering regularising their posts as most of them cannot go for any other work at this age, Mr. Robert Bruce said.
New Indian Express
17 hours ago
- New Indian Express
After welfare push, Stalin meets select sanitary staff; labour unions stay away
CHENNAI: A day after the state government announced various welfare schemes for conservancy workers, representatives of a few sanitary workers' associations on Friday met Chief Minister M K Stalin at his residence to thank him. However, major labour unions in the city corporation including CITU-affiliated Red Flag Union, Uzhaippor Urimai Iyakkam, LTUC, and AICCTU, which participated or spearheaded the sanitary workers' protest against privatisation of solid waste management in Royapuram and Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar zones — were not part of the delegation. The schemes announced included free breakfast, housing, enhanced insurance cover, special focus on occupational diseases, self-employment support, and education aid for children of the workers. P Srinivasalu, general secretary of Chennai Corporation Red Flag Union, told TNIE, 'We have been seeking an appointment to meet the CM since July to present our demands against privatisation, but got no response. Now, the corporation invited us to thank him, but we did not go as we want to firmly present our demands, not merely join to thank him.'
Indian Express
a day ago
- Indian Express
‘MNS and Sena UBT will contest together in BMC polls': Sanjay Raut
Amid the buzz of an alliance between the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and the Shiv Sena (UBT), Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut on Friday claimed that Uddhav and Raj Thackeray will together contest the upcoming civic body elections in the state including the BMC and emerge victorious. Though brothers Raj and Uddhav Thackeray have not yet officially announced anything regarding a pre-poll alliance, Raut said talks were already underway for several municipal corporations, including Mumbai, Thane, Nashik, Kalyan Dombivali and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. He asserted that 'no one can break the unity of the Thackerays.' 'The Thackeray brothers will contest the civic polls together and they will win. Talks are already going on for several municipal corporations, including Mumbai, Thane, Nashik and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. No evil force can now break the unity of the Thackerays,' he said. 'For Maharashtra and Marathi unity, the brothers have unsheathed the sword. Our discussions with MNS are still ongoing, but the goal is clear—to ensure victory in every civic body where we contest together,' he added. Although neither Uddhav nor Raj has formally announced the official alliance, the two parties have already come together for the August 18 election to the BEST Employees Co-operative Credit Society in Mumbai where the Sena (UBT)-affiliated BEST Kamgar Sena and the MNS-affiliated BEST Kamgar Sena are contesting jointly against a BJP-backed panel led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's aides Prasad Lad and Pravin Darekar. The move marks the first electoral collaboration between the cousins in years, following a series of public appearances together—including a Marathi language event earlier this year on July 5 in Mumbai and Raj's visit to 'Matoshree' on Uddhav's birthday. Sena UBT sees Mumbai and Thane as a key battleground. For the Sena UBT, winning the BMC would be retaining its bastion and rule over Mumbai and winning Thane Municipal Corporation would be a symbolic blow to rival Eknath Shinde, whose political career began there and who currently dominates the body. Leaders from Sena UBT believe that an alliance could revive their organisational presence in Mumbai, Thane and Nashik, where both parties have historically drawn significant Marathi support. The BJP, however, dismissed Raut's statement, with BJP leader Pravin Darekar likening the Sena (UBT) to 'an impatient groom who injures his knee before the wedding' and alleging that Raut feared his party's 'extinction' without MNS support. Since the speculation began, workers and office-bearers from both parties have been seen together at protests and public functions, further fuelling talk that the estranged cousins may formally reunite for the long-delayed municipal polls across Maharashtra. Meanwhile, Raut also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his independence day speech, alleging he had turned the country 'from religious to fanatically religious' and 'adopted the Congress's Swadeshi slogan, becoming Gandhian–Nehruvian.'
