‘7 minutes per college’: NGO alleges fraud in Tamil Nadu law school inspections; seeks probe against TNDALU

Alleging fraud in the inspections conducted by Tamil Nadu Dr Ambedkar Law University for affiliation of private law colleges, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) has demanded an investigation into the recognition report and action against the university officials. Arappor Iyakkam found irregularities in the inspection reports of law colleges based on the travel time indicated in an RTI response.

In a detailed letter to state chief minister MK Stalin, governor RN Ravi, law minister D Duraimurugan, and four others, the organisation argued that the committee members appointed for conducting inspections completed the whole process in just three days which is not technically possible and demanded legal action against the university vice-chancellor, registrar, administration of law colleges, and others involved in the alleged scam.

According to the RTI reply, the inspection team conducted the joint inspection for the academic years 2024–25 and 2025–26 over three days – January 30, January 31, and February 1, 2024. Moreover, it has been stated that the team traveled nearly 1,200 kilometers in three days and inspected 10 private law colleges in person.

Raising a doubt on the distance between the colleges and the mentioned travel time, the NGO noted that as per the Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University (Affiliation of Law Colleges) Regulations, 2013, a full day is required to inspect each private law college. However, the inspection team reportedly covered three to four colleges per day. “Considering the travel time between these 10 colleges, the effective inspection time works out to an average of about 7 minutes per college. How is such an inspection even possible?,” the group asked.

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Following the compilations received by Arappor Iyakkam stating that the university does not conduct proper inspections in private law colleges, students are denied adequate basic facilities, and faculty are shown only on paper without being available to take classes, the non-government body filed a Right to Information (RTI) application seeking details on the dates of inspections, inspection committee members, and faculty employed in these private law colleges.

Discrepancies in inspections of private law colleges

As per rules, the inspection team is required to examine the details of the college administration, management and financial status and management; working professors, their educational qualifications and salaries, classrooms, structures, hostel, library and model court; curriculum, procedures for the development of students; nature of the buildings and basic facilities.

When the NGO compared the details to be inspected and the visit undertaken by the inspection team based on the details of the RTI, it found that there is inconsistency and confusion.

Diving deep into the inspection days, Arappor Iyakkam noted that on January 30, they have stated that they visited three private law colleges on a single day – S K P Law College, Tiruvannamalai, Sir Isaac Newton Law College, Nagapattinam, and Mother Teresa Law College, Pudukkottai.

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Based on the NGO’s calculation, the distance between the university and the first college is approximately 180 kilometers and the travel time is approximately 3.5 hours. The distance between the first and second college is approximately 230 km and the travel time is approximately 4.5 hours. The distance between the second and third college is approximately 165 km and the travel time is approximately 3 hours.

According to the above measurement, the total travel time on January 30 alone is approximately 11.5 hours. Even if the research team does not start the journey from the university but directly visits the colleges, the travel time will be about eight hours, the non-government body noted.

“Based on the above details, it is doubtful whether the study was conducted. The study team has acted without considering the future of the students who are coming to study law,” it remarked.

Information kept ‘secret’

The body further alleged that when the travel expenses details and files related to travel details were filed under RTI, the university did not provide information about the details of the trips and expenses, but only said that they were carried out in a vehicle owned by the university.

“The fact that the above two RTIs have not been provided with information and are being kept secret strengthens the suspicion of the merger review committee. Therefore, the information regarding the merger review should be made public,” it demanded.

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Further alleging the involvement of governing body members in the fraudulent inspections and highlighting that students should be provided with quality education, Arappor Iyakkam demanded questioning of university VC and registrar along with the team members and law colleges, review of affiliation, refraining a governing body member from being a part of review committee, publishing of details of faculty members, and video recording of the entire merger inspection.