Key appointment papers, academic credentials of Tezpur University's absentee VC ‘not available’, states RTI reply

The crisis at Tezpur University has taken a significantly more serious turn after an official RTI (Right to Information) reply revealed that multiple key documents related to the appointment and academic qualifications of Vice-Chancellor Prof. Shambhu Nath Singh are “not available in the office”. The disclosure comes at a time when the university has already been paralysed for over two months due to widespread protests led by students and faculty demanding Singh’s removal.

The RTI query, filed seeking certified copies of the Vice-Chancellor’s Curriculum Vitae, PhD credentials, appointment letter issued by the President of India (the Visitor), selection committee details, interview records, qualification documents, and the official recruitment advertisement, was submitted citing public interest and transparency in appointments to top institutional offices.

In its response dated 19 November 2025, the university’s RTI Cell stated that documents corresponding to points 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 of the request were “not available in the office.” The reply further noted that the only information available was the “date of joining of Prof. S.N. Singh as VC” (04.04.2023) and it attached documents relating to points 3 and 7, which include the copy of his appointment order and the recruitment notification.

This revelation has intensified concerns already roiling the campus.

The university has been witnessing one of the most extended waves of dissent in its history. Students and teachers have accused Singh of, prolonged absence from campus, administrative and financial mismanagement, insensitive handling of student matters, and making allegedly disrespectful remarks about Assam’s beloved singer Zubeen Garg after his sudden death.

The unrest reached a flashpoint when students asked for postponement of the Students’ Council elections to allow the campus to mourn Garg’s passing only to have their plea dismissed. The elections proceeded as scheduled, fuelling widespread anger.

On Thursday, December 4, the standoff escalated dramatically when the campus community rejected Shambhu Nath Singh’s last-minute attempt to appoint a Pro-Vice-Chancellor through a Board of Management meeting. Students and faculty members declared the move illegitimate, calling it an attempt to “secure administrative control remotely” while the Vice-Chancellor himself remained absent for over 79 days.

In a surprise development, Tezpur University’s senior-most professor, Dhruba Kumar Bhattacharyya, stepped in as Acting Vice-Chancellor, citing legal provisions that mandate filling the position if a VC is away for more than 30 days.

“There is total administrative stagnation,” Dr Bhattacharyya said. “Many files are pending. Fellowship bills, urgent financial approvals, exam-related sanctions—nothing has moved for weeks. Semester exams begin Monday, and normalcy has to be restored.”

He added that stakeholders including ordinary students, research scholars, teachers, and non-teaching staff—had urged him to assume charge. Dr Bhattacharyya said that the university has indeed received corruption-related complaints.

“There are several corruption charges. I have discussed these with the deans. We are considering calling for a special audit to establish the facts and formally communicate them to the ministry,” he noted.

Students have welcomed the move but remain adamant that the Vice-Chancellor must resign or be removed. For many on campus, the RTI response has confirmed their fears that “systemic irregularities” may have occurred. “This is exactly what we were worried about,” said a student protest leader. “When essential documents about the VC’s qualifications are missing, how can the university community trust the integrity of the system?”

Faculty members echoed similar concerns, saying the RTI reply has “serious implications for the credibility of the institution”.

The ongoing crisis at Tezpur University (TU) reached a decisive turning point on Saturday, December 6 after the Ministry of Education (MoE) announced through a written assurance that Vice-Chancellor Prof. Shambhunath Singh would no longer administer the university, and a formal enquiry would be initiated against him.

The development came following a high-intensity standoff on campus during the visit of an MoE delegation led by Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi. The team was confronted with massive demonstrations, marking Day 79 of the university’s continuous peaceful protest.

According to student representatives, the visiting delegation failed to provide any concrete outcome, written assurance, or time-bound commitment regarding the long-pending demands raised by students, faculty and other stakeholders. The perceived lack of response intensified tensions further, prompting thousands of students to stage sit-in blockades on the main internal roads of the campus, halting all movement.

In a dramatic escalation, the agitating students prevented Secretary Joshi and his team from exiting the campus premises, insisting that the MoE deliver a written, verifiable and satisfactory resolution before leaving. The situation remained tense for several hours, with campus operations coming to a complete halt.

Students and faculty members expressed deep frustration, alleging that months of representations, fact-finding visits and official appeals had yielded “nothing but silence, delay and systemic indifference.” They stated that faith in institutional accountability had sharply eroded.

Amid heightened tensions, student bodies announced an indefinite shutdown of all academic and administrative activities at the university, declaring the decision a last resort after exhaustion of all peaceful avenues. They warned that the agitation would further intensify unless a definitive, written, and time-bound solution is issued by the competent authorities.