Who runs Tezpur University? Conflicting claims from Centre raise questions

Tezpur University has been pushed deeper into administrative uncertainty following contradictory positions taken by two Union ministries over the institution’s leadership, raising serious concerns about coordination at the highest levels of the Central government.

In a recent development, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) acknowledged Prof. Dhruba Kumar Bhattacharya as the Acting Vice-Chancellor of Tezpur University in an official post shared on its verified Facebook page. The public recognition, however, stands in sharp contrast to the Ministry of Education’s earlier stance, which had categorically denied Prof. Bhattacharya any administrative authority.

The situation has been further complicated by the Ministry of Education’s recent appointment of Prof. Amarendra Kumar Das as Pro Vice-Chancellor. Notably, the appointment was made without any formal acknowledgment of Prof. Bhattacharya’s position, despite his status as the senior-most professor — a role that, under the provisions of the Tezpur University Act, allows him to function as Acting Vice-Chancellor in the absence of a regular incumbent.

This selective recognition has raised pressing questions regarding adherence to statutory provisions, procedural fairness, and the Centre’s commitment to transparent and lawful governance in one of the North-East’s premier central universities.

Members of the university community and other stakeholders have expressed concern over what they describe as persistent administrative ambiguity, questioning whether the contradictions stem from bureaucratic oversight or reflect a deeper indifference towards the unfolding crisis.

Stakeholders have called for coordinated action among ministries to restore confidence, ensure statutory compliance, and prevent further erosion of trust in an academic institution already under severe strain.