Tamil Nadu minister alleges AI book scam in public libraries
School education minister A Rajmohan has filed a complaint with the anti-corruption wing over allegedly fraudulent books purchased under the previous DMK regime.
Tamil Nadu School Education Minister A Rajmohan on Saturday alleged that the previous DMK government was involved in an artificial intelligence scam involving the procurement of fraudulent books for public libraries. According to reports by Telegraph India and The Indian Express, the minister has lodged a formal complaint with the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) regarding the matter.
Rajmohan claimed that AI was used to generate low-quality, machine-generated books under fabricated author names such as Thamarai Murali, Kamalambal Karunanidhi, and Trisha Vijay. He alleged that thousands of books from a single publisher, Agal Vilakku Pathippagam, were ordered on February 14 with a seven-day delivery mandate, and payments were released in March.
The minister stated that the state spent Rs 17 lakh on these materials and will seek to recover every rupee. He announced that a special committee will be formed to probe procurements across multiple libraries, including the Kamarajar, Anna, and Kalaignar Centenary libraries, as well as facilities in Tiruchi, Salem, Cuddalore, and Tirunelveli.
DMK leader I Paranthamen dismissed the allegations as a fake narrative designed to mask administrative failures. He challenged the government to release official records, including online bank transactions and purchase orders, rather than relying on social media. Paranthamen noted that the controversial books received library stamps in June 2026, after the DMK's tenure had ended.
The controversy follows an essay by novelist Perumal Murugan, who served on a 137-member book selection committee, describing books with elementary errors and questionable historical claims. The government will now proceed with the DVAC investigation and the constitution of the special committee to scrutinise the recommended titles.