‘India’s first AI scam’: Tamil Nadu minister alleges library fraud under DMK

The alleged “AI scam” concerns books bought for Tamil Nadu public libraries during the previous DMK government. School Education Minister A Rajmohan says some volumes contained elementary mistakes, questionable claims, and possibly invented authors. The issue matters because public money was used to place unreliable material in libraries and potentially before students.

Rajmohan alleged that AI helped combine material from different authors into new books. He compared the process to printing counterfeit currency. He displayed names such as Thamarai Murali, Thamarai Ravi, Thamarai Panneer, Kamalambal Karunanidhi, and Pavithra Karunanidhi, calling them identities requiring investigation.

The allegations are not yet established findings. The department requested a police case, ordered libraries to preserve Agalvilakku books, and announced a special committee. The government says it will seek recovery of every rupee if wrongdoing is confirmed.

The controversy began at Coimbatore’s Periyar Arivulagam, where novelist Perumal Murugan described costly books containing errors and questionable claims. The government now says the issue may extend well beyond that single library. This matters because a wider distribution would mean more readers encountered the disputed material.

Rajmohan specifically named Connemara Library and the Kalaignar Library in Madurai as institutions that received similar books from Agalvilakku Publishing House. He also referred to procurement for libraries in Tiruchi, Salem, Cuddalore, and Tirunelveli. The article does not list every affected library or provide a complete distribution record.

Libraries were instructed to put books supplied by Agalvilakku into boxes and preserve them as evidence. A proposed special committee is expected to identify disputed material across collections. The department’s complaint and review could clarify the full geographic reach.

The review process involved a large recommendation committee. Rajmohan said it had approximately 137 members and that 112 attended its January meeting. Their recommendations later received approval from a higher-level committee. These figures matter because the government is using the process to examine how disputed books gained official approval.

Rajmohan said committee meetings occurred in November and December last year and again in January. He also referred to Rs 5 crore earmarked for e-books. An order dated February 14 required delivery within seven days, and March proceedings authorised treasury funds for the district. Some payments were processed after the elections.

The article does not provide a single documented total for the alleged loss. Instead, the government says it will examine collections and seek recovery of every rupee if wrongdoing is established. The committee’s findings may clarify both the scale and responsibility.

The reported errors were not merely spelling or editing problems. They included mistakes about literature and history, raising concerns about whether library books were reliable enough for students and general readers. The issue matters because authoritative-looking books can pass incorrect information to people who trust public institutions.

Rajmohan highlighted “Naladiyar: A Guide to Life,” which Murugan criticised for presenting a collection of classical Tamil verse as the work of one individual poet and philosopher. Rajmohan warned that students might absorb the claim and reproduce it in examination answers. He also read out names he called those of “prolific authors,” including Thamarai Murali and Pavithra Karunanidhi.

The article reports allegations, not a completed expert verification of every book. The department plans to preserve Agalvilakku volumes and have a special committee identify disputed material. That review could determine which errors are genuine, how widespread they are, and whether authors or publishers were fabricated.

Confirmed wrongdoing would affect more than a procurement file. Students might study incorrect literary or historical claims and repeat them in examinations. Readers could lose confidence in public-library collections. Established publishers could also be harmed if questionable books received public purchases while legitimate works were bought in much smaller quantities.

The article gives a direct example: “Naladiyar: A Guide to Life” allegedly misrepresented classical Tamil verse. Rajmohan also cited established publishers who said the previous government bought only one library copy of their books. He contrasted that with the alleged accumulation of books from one publisher, though the article’s final sentence is incomplete.

Financially, the government says it will seek recovery of every rupee spent on disputed books. It has requested a police case and ordered evidence preserved. If investigations establish responsibility, Rajmohan says politicians responsible would face the law. The article does not state that anyone has yet been found liable.

The Tamil Nadu School Education Department is the government body now presenting the allegations, requesting a case, preserving books, and forming a special committee. Rajmohan says library committees reviewed and recommended titles, while a higher-level committee approved those recommendations. Their decisions are central to understanding how the purchases became authorised.

Agalvilakku Publishing House allegedly supplied disputed books to multiple libraries. Rajmohan claims the previous DMK administration pressured approval, but he did not identify who applied that pressure or explain how. The earlier government also issued an order requiring delivery and authorised treasury payments, according to his chronology. Some payments came after the elections.

The DMK rejects the political accusations. Former minister and Assembly whip Govi Chezhiyan says its procurement policy was transparent and that Murugan was on a recommendation committee. He wants the backgrounds of the books, authors, and publishers disclosed. The competing accounts require independent investigation.

In a normal public-library purchase, titles are selected against clear collection needs, reviewed by qualified librarians or subject experts, approved through a documented committee process, and bought from verified publishers. Records should show the title, author, edition, price, supplier, recommendation, approval, delivery, and payment. These steps matter because public money and public trust are involved.

Safeguards could include checking author biographies, publisher catalogues, ISBN and copyright records, sample chapters, citations, and independent expert reviews. Software may flag copied or machine-generated text, but human experts must verify literary and historical claims. Separating selection, approval, receipt, and payment duties can also expose conflicts of interest.

The article says committees met, recommendations received higher-level approval, and treasury payments followed. It does not explain whether the checks above were used. A special committee, preserved books, publisher disclosures, and a police inquiry could test fabrication, errors, procurement irregularities, and possible conflicts.