Tezpur University crisis: VC relieved of administrative duties, to face probe amid escalating student unrest

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 a complete 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.

Heavy security personnel have been deployed in and around the campus as the standoff continues and uncertainty looms over the university’s immediate future.

As per the latest information, the MoE delegation eventually departed the premises after submitting key recommendations, including the decision to remove the Vice-Chancellor from administrative responsibilities and initiate an enquiry into his functioning.