In a significant revelation pointing to large-scale academic fraud, Hyderabad-based legal advocacy group Legal Rights Protection Forum (LRPF) has submitted a detailed complaint to the Governor of Tamil Nadu, who also serves as the Chancellor of the University of Madras. The complaint seeks immediate disciplinary action against Prof. S Elumalai, the Registrar of the University of Madras, for allegedly facilitating and endorsing fraudulent academic practices orchestrated by Loyola (Autonomous) College, Chennai for the last two decades.
The LRPF’s complaint, backed by substantial documentary evidence, demands the cancellation of all M.A. Philosophy degrees awarded by Loyola College for over two decades under the name and seal of the University of Madras, calling the entire operation an elaborate academic scam with serious national security implications.
The Complaint: A Well-Documented Case of Academic Deception
The LRPF has enclosed a series of key documents substantiating its claims, including:
Digital archived screenshots from the official websites of Satya Nilayam and the University of Madras, proving the institution’s past affiliation with Loyola College.
Copies of fraudulent M A Philosophy degree certificates issued to foreign students under the official logo of the University of Madras.
Urged Hon'ble Governor of Tamil Nadu to act against the Registrar of the University of Madras for enabling Loyola College's large-scale academic fraud.
Sought revocation of all fraudulently issued M.A. Philosophy certificates under in the name of UoM using its official logo pic.twitter.com/pHI5jBXCN9
— Legal Rights Protection Forum (@lawinforce) March 27, 2025
An official response under the RTI Act, 2005, revealing that the University of Madras has lost track of Loyola College’s affiliation order, a document critical to validating its authority to issue degrees.
The LRPF argues that the absence of an affiliation order, coupled with Loyola College’s unauthorized off-campus activities, makes all degrees issued through this program illegal.
“It is deeply alarming that the University of Madras, a reputed institution, has allowed a private autonomous college to exploit its name and reputation to facilitate the unlawful awarding of degrees to individuals who were never enrolled at its official campus,” states the complaint.
Fraudulent Academic Degrees, Missionary Training, and National Security Threats
At the core of this scandal is Loyola College’s operation of an unauthorized off-campus center at Satya Nilayam, which exclusively trains Jesuit missionaries under the guise of an M.A. Philosophy program.
According to the LRPF, Loyola College has been systematically admitting foreign nationals into this program, awarding them degrees under the University of Madras’ name and logo, despite these individuals never attending the official Loyola College campus.
“The program is designed not for academic pursuits, but for training individuals in missionary activities. Many of these students are foreign nationals who, upon completion, are deployed for evangelical work within India and abroad. This constitutes a gross misuse of India’s higher education system,” the complaint alleges.
The LRPF further highlights that Loyola College’s unlawful admission and training of foreign nationals at an unapproved campus violates multiple provisions of the Foreigners Act, 1946, and the Registration of Foreigners Rules, 1992, which strictly regulate the activities of foreign students in India.
The LRPF has demanded that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) launch an immediate probe into these violations, arguing that the Jesuit-led program at Satya Nilayam is being used as a cover for religious indoctrination and missionary recruitment, rather than legitimate academic pursuits.
“The scale of this fraud suggests not just academic malpractice, but an organized scheme with potential ramifications for national security. The role of foreign nationals, particularly in religious training under an educational institution’s banner, warrants serious scrutiny from intelligence and immigration authorities,” the LRPF has urged.
Evidence Manipulation: Loyola College’s Attempt to Cover Up the Fraud
The LRPF has also exposed deliberate evidence tampering by Loyola College and Satya Nilayam in an apparent bid to erase records of their illegal affiliation.
According to the complaint, shortly after LRPF’s first report to the Hon’ble Governor on February 27, 2025, Satya Nilayam’s official website was mysteriously taken down for several days. When the site was restored, all references to Loyola College were deleted, an act that LRPF calls an attempt to destroy incriminating evidence.
“The very act of deleting references to Loyola College from the website is an admission of guilt. If Loyola College’s program was legal, why did they feel the need to erase the evidence?” the LRPF questions in its complaint.
The complaint includes digitally archived links that reveal the original content of the website, proving that Loyola College’s claims of non-affiliation post-complaint are false.
Shocking RTI Revelation: Missing Affiliation Order Raises Questions About the Role of Madras University Officials
One of the most damning pieces of evidence in the complaint is a 2023 RTI response from the University of Madras, stating that the affiliation order for Loyola College, dating back to 1998, is “untraceable.”
The LRPF has called this revelation outrageous and indicative of a larger cover-up, stating: “It is unthinkable that a university as prestigious as Madras University has lost track of such a crucial document. This raises serious doubts about the integrity of its administration and suggests deliberate attempts to shield Loyola College from scrutiny.”
The complaint argues that the Registrar of the University of Madras, Prof. Shri S Elumalai, is complicit in this cover-up, either through deliberate inaction or active collusion with Loyola College.
Demands for Immediate Action
- The LRPF has urged the Governor R N Ravi to take swift action to restore the integrity of higher education in Tamil Nadu, demanding:
- Immediate dismissal and disciplinary proceedings against Prof. S Elumalai, Registrar of the University of Madras, for his failure to uphold academic standards and prevent fraud.
- Complete cancellation of all M.A. Philosophy degrees issued by Loyola College under the University of Madras’ name since 1998.
- A criminal investigation into Loyola College and its management, with the Tamil Nadu Police registering an FIR against those involved.
- A full-scale probe by the Ministry of Home Affairs into Loyola College’s violations of visa norms, particularly the unauthorized recruitment of foreign nationals for religious training.
Speaking with Organiser, Santhosh, President of LRPF, said, “We suspect that the Loyola academic scam is just the tip of the iceberg, as it has gone unnoticed for decades. Violating the laws of the land not only undermines the Indian Constitution but also exploits the generosity extended to minority-run academic institutions. We request stringent action against the Loyola Group and its affiliates.”
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