Students, teachers condemn Tezpur University’s BoM meet call by absconding VC Shambhu Nath Singh

The ongoing crisis at Tezpur University intensified on Thursday, December 4 as students issued a strong condemnation of the administration’s move to convene the 126th Board of Management (BoM) meeting at 4 pm, alleging multiple procedural violations and questioning the credibility of the notification.

According to student representatives, the attempt to hold the meeting in a blended mode has raised serious concerns, as no existing rule or regulation of the University authorises such a format. Students claimed that convening the meeting in this manner undermines transparency and weakens the democratic functioning of the University’s governance system.

They further pointed out that, as per established University guidelines, an official notification must be issued at least three weeks prior to a BoM meeting. In contrast, the current notification—circulated via email—lacked essential details and failed to meet multiple mandatory requirements.

Students alleged that the notification was not issued on the official Tezpur University letterhead, contained no University logo, and featured inaccurate information, including the mention of Prof. S.C. Deka as the Dean of Engineering— a position he no longer holds. Additionally, several compulsory permanent members of the BoM, such as the Registrar and Controller of Examinations, were reportedly not invited.

“These discrepancies cast serious doubts on the authenticity and integrity of the convening process,” the student fraternity stated, adding that the move appeared to be another example of “illegal and unethical administrative decisions” under Vice-Chancellor Shambhu Nath Singh’s tenure.

The University has been paralysed for over 76 days amid sustained protests over the Vice-Chancellor’s prolonged absence from campus and allegations of mismanagement. Students, joined by faculty, employees, and local citizens, have been demanding his immediate removal— a demand that has also echoed in Parliament through Opposition MPs Gaurav Gogoi and Ajit Kumar Bhuyan.

Despite being largely untraceable on campus, Vice-Chancellor Singh reportedly called for the BoM meeting through a brief email that mentioned only the meeting’s timing and its blended mode.

The crisis drew political attention on Wednesday when Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that he had taken up the matter with Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Sarma said he urged the Centre to appoint a Pro-Vice Chancellor until an impartial enquiry into the VC’s conduct is completed.

However, the Tezpur University community has rejected the suggestion, reiterating that their core demands remain unchanged.

“Our demands remain unchanged: immediate suspension of the current Vice-Chancellor pending enquiry, appointment of an Acting Vice-Chancellor—not a Pro-VC, and publication of all inquiry reports already submitted to authorities,” student representatives clarified.

Students have urged the University administration to withdraw what they describe as an “illegitimate” BoM notification and initiate a transparent dialogue to resolve the deep-rooted governance issues that have led to one of the longest-running campus crises in the institution’s history.