Anna University, TN, asks for bank statements from private engineering colleges

As part of efforts to get the correct number of teaching faculty in colleges, Anna University has asked private engineering colleges to submit bank statements for the last three months with details on payment of salary to teaching faculty to the varsity's inspection team. The inspection teams are currently conducting physical examination of engineering colleges for renewal of affiliation, stated a report in The New Indian Express.

According to varsity officials, the move is to ensure that private colleges do not exploit teachers and weed out temporary arrangements made by colleges during inspections. In the last few years, the university has received numerous complaints from teachers alleging that many colleges are not paying them on time.

Taking note of the issue, the vice-chancellor directed the inspection teams, tasked with physical verification of infrastructure and facilities at colleges seeking renewal of affiliation, to check their bank statements also. A letter in this regard was issued to the principals of all private engineering colleges.

Vice-Chancellor says...
"The colleges have been asked to submit the bank detail statement without fail. The initiative will serve a dual purpose. First, it will give us clarity about the payment being made to the teaching faculties and second, it will provide us the exact number of teaching faculty the college has employed. Many colleges don't have adequate teaching faculties and during inspections, they make temporary arrangements to inflate the numbers of the teachers. The bank statement will bring out the truth," said Vice-Chancellor R Velraj.

Apprehensions in the air
However, KM Karthik, Founder of All India Private Colleges Employees Union, is apprehensive that the move will yield desired results.

"It is really a good thing that Anna University for the first time will check the bank statement of colleges. It will get clarity on how private engineering colleges are exploiting highly qualified teachers by paying them meagre salary. However, we feel, the colleges are experts in paperwork that might not show proper bank statements. We demand that Anna University should ask the colleges to provide Form 16, that is provided by Income tax department to the employer for each employee, for the teaching faculties," said Karthik.