Face authentication, geo-tagged photos to help eliminate fake faculty

Chennai: To eliminate fake faculty in engineering colleges, Anna University teams have started verifying geotagged photos of members and videographing the inspection process. A face-based authentication system has also been set up.

Some 463 engineering colleges have applied for extension of approval for the 2026-27 academic year. “The inspection teams are verifying the details of faculty members, including their academic credentials, experience and publication details,” Anna University registrar (in charge) V Kumaresan said. “They also check lab requirements and infrastructure facilities during the physical inspection.”

The university had assigned engineering faculty members a 10-digit faculty identification number (FIN) with geotagged photo, personal and academic credentials before the inspection started for the 2026-27 academic year.

Kumaresan said the inspection process will get over before June 10. The university is expected to grant extension of approval to all eligible colleges before the release of the engineering rank list on June 29.

“Some inspection teams are not accepting faculty members who are above 60 years. According to AICTE norms, a faculty member can be employed till 65 years,” a principal from a city college said. “Further, professors are not accepting reasons for absence, even for those with genuine reasons.”

This is the first physical inspection after the suspension of Anna University officials over the fake faculty issue.

“Anna University is yet to release the details of the colleges which showed fake faculty members. They also should ban such colleges from taking part in the engineering counselling,” said Radhakrishnan M of Arappor Iyakkam.

Anti-corruption NGO Arappor Iyakkam has exposed that more than 350 faculty members were shown working in multiple colleges simultaneously for the 2023-24 academic year. Later, an inquiry by the university revealed that more than 1,000 faculty members were shown as working in multiple institutions.