MoE sends Tezpur University VC on leave, sets up enquiry panel after months of unrest

The Ministry of Education (MoE) has directed Tezpur University Vice Chancellor Shambhu Nath Singh to proceed on leave with immediate effect and constituted a three-member enquiry panel to investigate allegations against him, officials said on January 1.

The decision follows months of unrest on the campus of Tezpur University, where students and sections of the faculty have been protesting since mid-September, alleging administrative and financial irregularities. The agitation marked 100 days on Monday, with protesters undertaking a 24-hour hunger strike that failed to elicit a response until now.

“A three-member enquiry panel has been set up to probe into all matters pertaining to the ongoing situation in Tezpur University including allegations levelled against the Vice Chancellor,” a senior MoE official said. “The VC shall recuse himself from all duties and proceed on leave immediately and shall remain on leave till completion of enquiry.”

The panel has been asked to submit its report within a maximum period of three months.

To ensure continuity of administration, the ministry has appointed Amrendra Kumar Das of IIT Guwahati’s Department of Design as Pro Vice Chancellor of the university.

Campus tensions escalated in September after students accused the vice chancellor and the administration of failing to show due respect to Assamese cultural icon Zubeen Garg during a period of public mourning. Protesters have also flagged alleged deforestation and ecological damage on the university’s scenic campus under the current administration, in addition to fiscal concerns.

The vice chancellor has stayed away from the campus since September 22, when heated scenes and an exchange of words with students reportedly forced him to leave the spot. Since the protests began, at least 11 faculty members and senior officials have either resigned from their posts or exited the university, underscoring the depth of the crisis.

The ministry’s intervention is expected to determine accountability and chart a course towards restoring normalcy at one of Assam’s key central universities.