On November 29, protesters sealed Tezpur university’s main gate and blocked access to key administrative and academic buildings
Academic life at Tezpur University has collapsed as students, joined by teaching and non-teaching staff, continue an indefinite shutdown demanding the removal of Vice Chancellor Shambhu Nath Singh. The agitation, which began in mid-September, has snowballed into a full-blown crisis, forcing the cancellation of all examinations and bringing routine operations to a standstill.
On November 29, protesters sealed the Tezpur university’s main gate and blocked access to key administrative and academic buildings, effectively immobilizing the central university located in Sonitpur district. With the Vice Chancellor absent from campus for weeks, staff members describe the situation as “a complete lockdown.”
“We have no leadership, no functioning system. The VC should resign immediately and an acting VC must be appointed,” said a representative of the Tezpur University United Forum, a collective of students, faculty, and employees spearheading the agitation.
Students accuse VC Singh of academic and financial irregularities, claiming that questionable appointments, inflated procurements, and deteriorating infrastructure point to deeper corruption. Their anger was further fuelled by the university’s decision to hold student council elections immediately after the death of Assam’s cultural icon Zubeen Garg, a period during which the state was in official mourning.
The uproar first peaked on September 22, when a confrontation between students and the VC forced him to leave campus under tense circumstances. He has not returned since.
Both the Teachers’ Association and the Non-Teaching Employees’ Association have fully aligned with the students, making the shutdown total. All services, including classes, labs, administrative work, and examinations, have been suspended indefinitely.
The administration had rescheduled semester-end exams for December 8, but with the ongoing blockade and no signs of reconciliation, their fate remains uncertain. Thousands of students now face academic setbacks and uncertainty about their degrees.
The Tezpur university authorities have approached Assam Governor, Lakshman Prasad Acharya, seeking intervention. Earlier, a team from the Union Ministry of Education surveyed the situation, and the issue has drawn attention in both Parliament and the Assam Legislative Assembly.
Meanwhile, the Sonitpur district administration has launched a magisterial inquiry into allegations that the Tezpur university disrespected Zubeen Garg. A separate fact-finding committee appointed by the Governor has also visited the campus to examine charges against the VC.
Despite the ongoing probes, students and staff insist that the agitation will continue until the Vice Chancellor is suspended and transparency in administrative functioning is ensured.
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