Fake professors in Tamilnadu engg colleges?

Chennai: There are reports in a few quarters that institutions affiliated to Anna
University have over 520 fake faculty members and that the number is 9,060 in
eight States across the country.
Speaking to 'News Today', Anna University Registrar S Ganesan denied the
reports. He said it was not confirmed. However, sources say that such practices
abound in private engineering colleges where many seats go vacant.
A retired professor of an Anna University-affiliated college recalls, "A student with
journalism background posed as an engineering professor at a college that is
located away from the city limits. Ironically, the imposter was caught red-handed
by her own professor, who was part of the inspection team to the engineering
college."
On anonymity, another professor from a reputed technical college says, "Final-year
postgraduate students or unemployed ME graduates are lured as imposters by the
institutions. Anna University along with AICTE conducts inspections every year to
check the quality of an institution. According to standards, the ratio of faculty
should be in proportion to the total number of students. This varies for different
institutions."
"But most colleges, off the city limits, receive information about the inspection
beforehand. To show the right numbers, they employ students or unemployed PG
degree holders on a per-day basis and get the certification," he says.
Another professor explains, "For instance, an automobile engineering department
has four sections for its first-year students. Likewise, they have four sections till
the final year. Then, 16 sections need to be engaged in classes at the same time. So,
an institution requires 20 faculty members, including laboratory faculty, to sustain
a single period. Accounting for the next hour, another 20 professors are required. It
means a department requires 40 faculty members in the position of professors,
associate professors, and post-doctoral faculty."
This, it is said by experts, is not feasible.
There are no ways to make the system fool-proof, adds another professor.

A student who had posed as faculty during his postgraduation days, says,
"Institutions call us for a day. They pay approximately Rs 10,000 and many would
take it up, lured by the money. Though it is against ethics, most are still going for
it."