EFLU ex-employee creates ‘fake identity’ to cheat many

Hyderabad: A former project associate of English and Foreign Language University (EFLU) purportedly crafted a web of lies to con his way into Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (SWREIS) to provide consultancy services, lectures on English courses to principals of SWREIS across the State.

According to EFLU sources, K Rajeevan “created” a fake professional identity, which he used to gain access into the residential schools and flaunt his own work through conducting workshops and conferences in English and counseling to all the principals of as many as 134 SWREIS institutions in the State.

The university professors said that Rajeevan undermined the integrity of the residential schools’ protocol, compromised the reputation of the Society and cheated all those who competed honestly for what he deceitfully gained. “He artfully used the EFLU tag and gained entry into the SWREIS posing as a retired EFLU professor. But in reality, he retired from the university as a project associate, a glorified version of a clerk,” said an English professor of EFLU who requested anonymity.

The 63-year-old postgraduate teacher from Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, he joined EFLU (earlier Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages (CIEFL)) as a project associate for the District Centre Scheme (DCS) in English for a monthly salary of Rs 700 in 1985. He worked there till 2003. He resigned at the age of 51 from the university on 30 May 2003 (after working there for 18 years). “How can a professor retire at the age of 51,” questions a university faculty member. Rajeevan, a native of Kuthuparamba in Kerala, did his BA Ed in 1973 from Mysore University scoring 52 per cent. Later he completed his MA in 1981 from Punjab University with a percentage of 53. He also completed a 12-week course for resource persons from CIEFL, Hyderabad in 1984.

Good academic record with at least 55 per cent marks at Master’s Degree-level is required for the post of a professor. He did not possess the desired qualifications, the faculty members of university said.

Sources claim that after Rajeevan left EFLU, he joined Oxford University Press (OUP) in Hyderabad as a ‘research’ person and used to portray himself as an ELT consultant from EFLU. The SWREIS, which buys dictionaries and grammar books from OUP, came in contact with Rajeevan who managed to dissuade the said society using his falsified credentials and English work he plagiarized from other sources and grammar books. “The Society never crosschecked Rajeevan’s credentials and blindly believed to what the press staff projected and with this he upped the ante,” said the sources.

When contacted, the secretary of TSWREIS, RS Praveen Kumar, IPS, said that they do take Rajeevan’s advice occasionally in English language teaching and nowhere connected to EFLU. “We came in contact with Rajeevan through OUP and he is not under our pay rolls. He only provides his services like counselling to the Society principals during conferences and also guides us as how to use the dictionaries published by OUP,” the IPS officer said.

By: Victor Rao