Chennai: Anna University tells colleges to verify PhDs of faculty

CHENNAI: Following complaints that some faculty members are working with fake PhD certificates in engineering colleges, Anna University has asked all affiliated engineering colleges to get genuineness certificates for PhDs of their staff from concerned universities.
In a circular to principals and chairmen of engineering colleges, the university raised doubts that some faculty members might have bogus PhD degree certificates.
“PhD degree holders are having doctorates obtained from different universities and (are) lending their names to more number of colleges. It is also suspected that some faculty members are having bogus PhD degree certificates and working in affiliated colleges,” the circular said.
“Hence, the chairman/principals of all affiliated colleges are requested to apply for genuineness certificate of PhD degrees of their employees from concerned university and produce it to the inspection committee. Attested copy of genuineness certificate and PhD degree certificate should be submitted to the university on or before March 16,” the circular added.
Around 7,000 professors with PhDs are currently working in around 500 engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu.
Recently, there were complaints from faculty members to university that some faculty members were working by producing fake certificates.
“Any department should have professors, associate professors and assistant professors in the ratio of 1:2:6. Due to fake certificate menace, many faculty members not able to get employment in private colleges. These faculty members were also working for very low salary,” professor from an engineering college said.
Anna University officials said it is difficult to verify the genuineness of certificate during inspection. “If faculty members produce PhD certificates obtained from outside the state or from private universities, it is difficult to find out their genuineness,” an official said.