900 Professors, Billion-Dollar Education Scandal!”
By Shivaji Sarkar
Stock markets and finance are infamous for manipulation, but few expected India’s education sector to be just as tainted. The NAAC bribery scandal has eroded trust in top-paid teachers and the very system meant to uphold higher education, shape national ethos, and drive economic growth.
The moral foundation of education has been shaken. If corruption can infiltrate a system built on ethical principles, it risks undermining every sector—leaving the economy, already struggling to regain its footing, even more vulnerable.
Now widely known as the NAAC-Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation (KLEF) bribery case, the scandal involves 14 top academicians, including a mastermind from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). It exposes not just deep-rooted corruption but also its widespread prevalence in India’s education system.
As a direct fallout, NAAC has dismissed around 900 assessors—senior professors earning Rs 3 lakh or more per month with numerous perks—over the past few months. While the exact financial scope of the NAAC bribery network is yet to be assessed, estimates suggest it runs into billions. The CBI’s investigation into the Andhra-based KLEF scandal alone yielded Rs 37 lakh in cash, six Lenovo laptops, an iPhone 16 Pro, and incriminating documents. Raids across 20 locations in India are still ongoing.
Concerns about NAAC’s credibility are not new. Two years ago, a private university in western Uttar Pradesh—lacking even basic infrastructure—was controversially awarded an ‘A’ grade, raising suspicions of systemic malpractice. NAAC itself now admits to large-scale illicit transactions in exchange for higher grades.
It suspects massive illicit transactions for ensuring higher grades. The total number of universities in India is 1,113. These include different kinds of universities, like central, state, deemed, and private universities. There are 56 central universities, 455 state privateuniversities, and 15501 private colleges and other institutions. Since 1994, all higher education institutions have to seek NAACaccreditation. Many have gone for reassessments.
It is possibly one of the most corrupt systems, says Deepesh Divakaran, aBoard Member in Leading Institutions partnering with 300 academic institutions. He says the KLEFbribery case unfolds only the tip of the iceberg.
“This (KLEF) was not a one-off incident. I have personally witnessed numerous cases over the past decade that expose the deep rot within NAAC’s accreditation process.One of the first things I discovered was the existence of a parallel market of middlemen—individuals and agencies who guarantee NAAC accreditation in exchange for hefty sums. These brokers are well-connected with NAAC insiders, ensuring institutions get the grade they desire, rather than what they actually deserve.What I discovered was a well-oiled machinery of corruption, where accreditation is often a business transaction rather than an evaluation of quality”, Divakaran says on his site – https://www.deepeshdivakaran.com/post/the-recent-naac-bribery-arrests-are-just-the-tip-of-the-iceberg-every-a-a-and-a-grade-is-ques.
It is more serious than any other corruption as it involves the education centres that are committed to help create a clean society, build future citizens and elite for the social good. That is being not only compromised for the sake of minting money but also most of the private education system indulges in unholy practices. Divakaran says the education sharks openly say “tell us the cost and would have our desires fulfilled”.
The NAAC is a public autonomous central government body that assesses and accredits higher education institutions (HEIs) in India. Its rankings decide the fee structure, official facilities and ratings that boosts student intake. The NAAC rating was supposed to have transparency in realising the quality of different institutions, particularly in the private sector. The present scandal has raised questions if there should at all be such faulted system and whether the country should trust private educational institutions.
Once at least nobody says there is any politicking in it or bid to malign a system. The findings are based on investigations that led to immediate arrest of 14 teachers from different parts of the country and involved are JNU, Bangalore Uniiversity, Davangere University and Bangalore Advisor of NAAC.One teacher is alleged to have demanded Rs 1.8 crore to approve the gradation of a private university atGuntur, Andhra Pradesh. Though it is stated that the deal was struck at Rs 28 lakh.
The NAAC and National Board of Accreditation assessments are important for institutions. Unusual practices are common for getting the highest grade. The UGC and AICTE are unable to control it. While NAAC Peer Team selection is by computerized system, as stated earlier by NAAC, but in KLEF (may be many others) case members were selected by NAAC officials. This is reportedly happening as Peer Team Members often know the faculty of the institutions they are visiting.
Divakaran quotes one such agent, whoclaimed: “Why bother with complex documentation when I can get you NAAC ‘A++’ for ₹50 lakh? If you want a hassle-free process, let me handle it!”
The peer review manipulation is stated to be a common phenomenon. At one institution “where I was part of the advisory board, the chairman of the institution casually mentioned, “We have already selected our peer review team. They are our people. The report will be favourable,” says Divakaran. It is said that “experts” abound the market of accreditation.
Agents having contacts at various NAAC points frequent private universities. In many cases, publications are made in the name of the faculty members to get higher grading.
Several institutions are known to fabricate research papers to boost their NAAC scores. Though most private organisations do not pay the faculty decent wages but squander away tons for subterfuge. They buy citations that provide fake indexed research, even get plagiarised research published in journals. It is said that publication of papers has evolved as a parallel industry. Despite crisis in recruitmentsnow, immaculate placements records and feedback records are presented.
The accreditation,including its record keeping and other paraphernalia, has evolved into a parallel expensive system questioning the very process and need for accreditation. It is time for cleaning the system that is too elaborate, involving review of papers of five years and insisting on the “highest quality” of “research”, not academic delivery. Most have evolved as degree mills and more so with online education.
The Ministry of Education must take decisive action. Rather than persisting with a flawed accreditation system, it should focus on ensuring institutions prioritize academic integrity and genuine learning.
(Author is recognised midea commentator the writer is currently serving as a professor at Indian Institute of Mass Communication Delhi).
