Tripura suspends assistant professor over college admission forgery allegations

The Higher Education Department of Tripura has suspended Dr. Abhijit Nath, Assistant Professor of Ramthakur College in Agartala, following serious allegations of misconduct and forgery linked to the ongoing undergraduate admissions for the academic year 2025–26.

The decision came after a report published in a local newspaper on July 19 accused Dr. Nath of illegally facilitating admissions and manipulating official documents. Acting on the report, the department issued a suspension order, signed by Special Secretary Raval Hemendra Kumar.

According to the order, on July 18, the college authorities discovered that some students, whose names were not included in the official admission list, were carrying fee cards bearing forged signatures of the college administration. Preliminary findings from the college principal revealed that Dr. Nath admitted in writing to having taken 50 fee cards from the office without authorisation and keeping them at his residence. While he returned 28 of those cards when questioned, he failed to account for the rest.

Also Read: Tripura achieves 2 MW solar power milestone, sets 50 MW target for 2026

However, the college principal's factual report claimed that a total of 120 fee cards had been taken by Dr. Nath. Furthermore, investigations uncovered 69 cases of unauthorised admissions facilitated through the misuse of cards.

The order states that Dr. Nath's actions amount to a serious case of malpractice, forgery, and gross violation of the college’s admission procedures. Citing Sub-Rule (1) of Rule 10 of the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965, the Higher Education Department placed Dr. Nath under immediate suspension.

During the suspension period, Dr. Nath’s headquarters will remain at Agartala, West Tripura, and he has been directed not to leave without prior permission from the department.

The incident has triggered concern over transparency in college admissions and the role of faculty members in maintaining procedural integrity. An internal inquiry is expected to follow.