AI errors, inflated prices: Tamil Nadu orders probe into Periyar library books

A Tamil classic described as a “poet and philosopher”. A book crediting MK Stalin with government schemes from the years when his father was chief minister. These are among the alleged errors in books purchased for Coimbatore’s Periyar Arivulagam library, where questions over content and prices have led to a government inquiry.Writer Perumal Murugan flagged factual inaccuracies, suspected AI-generated content and inflated prices. Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay accused the previous DMK government of corruption, while the party defended the procurement process as transparent.DMK leader Rajivgandhi Radhakrishnan pointed out that Murugan himself had served on the book selection committee and questioned whether Vijay had issued his statement with full knowledge of the facts.School Education Minister A Rajmohan said procurement records were being examined and the file would be submitted to the Chief Minister for further action. He alleged that nearly 1,800 fraudulent or substandard books from Agalvilakku Pathippagam had been purchased during the previous government’s tenure. The controversy comes weeks after the opening of Periyar Arivulagam, or Periyar Knowledge World, a library and science centre named after social reformer Periyar EV Ramasamy. The project was conceived by the Stalin-led DMK government, and Stalin laid its foundation stone in November 2024. Vijay inaugurated it on October 16 this year.A TAMIL CLASSIC DESCRIBED AS A PERSONOne of Murugan’s examples was ‘Naladiyar Vaazhvin Vazhikaatu’, priced at Rs 1,445. The book described Naladiyar as a Tamil “poet and philosopher”, although it is a collection of verses attributed to Jain monks. Murugan alleged that several books contained similarly inaccurate information generated using AI. He also questioned how the books were selected and priced.He alleged that around 2,000 books from Agalvilakku and Phoenix publications had been placed in the library at unusually high prices. His figure covers both publishers, while the minister cited nearly 1,800 books linked to Agalvilakku alone.The ruling TVK’s IT wing flagged another alleged error in a book on Tamil Nadu’s chief ministers. It said the text credited Stalin with leading government schemes during 1969–1976 and 1989–1991, when his father, M Karunanidhi, was chief minister.VIJAY TARGETS DMK, MINISTER PROMISES ACTIONIn a statement on Friday, Vijay praised Murugan for raising the issue and accused the DMK of turning Periyar Knowledge World into a “world of corruption”.He said a government order dated November 5, 2025, had constituted a committee to recommend books for new libraries, including Periyar Arivulagam. Murugan was involved in recommending modern literature and critical works.Vijay questioned the DMK leadership’s claims of closely supervising the project and alleged misuse of public money.Rajmohan said those responsible would face action.“A scam in a library bearing the name of Periyar is unacceptable. To borrow the words of my leader and Chief Minister, we will not spare anyone,” he said.HR&CE Minister Ramesh also demanded a response from Stalin, questioning whether public authority had been used for private gain.KAMAL HAASAN, OTHER LEADERS SEEK ACTIONMakkal Needhi Maiam founder Kamal Haasan, an ally of the DMK, warned that inaccurate texts could cause lasting damage if students and researchers cited them or repeated their errors in academic work.He condemned the alleged fraud and thanked Murugan for exposing it.“Whoever committed this act has betrayed the Tamil language,” Haasan said, demanding the withdrawal of the books and the sealing of the publishing houses involved. He also called for the books to be burned.AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran demanded a Special Investigation Team to examine the procurement process, from tender allocation to payments, and an audit of public libraries across Tamil Nadu.PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss sought a Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption probe and a separate Commission of Inquiry. Questioning the pricing, he cited the Rs 1,445 Naladiyar-related volume and said established publishers sold the standard text for around Rs 350.Naam Tamilar Katchi chief coordinator Seeman demanded a judicial inquiry, removal of the allegedly fake books and action against those involved.BJP chief spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy said both the previous DMK government and the current TVK administration must answer questions about the purchases. He called for a transparent, independent investigation, while AIADMK media wing state secretary Kovai Sathyan sought a government clarification.- Ends