Tezpur central varsity logjam continues, students shut down campus demanding VC’s removal

Guwahati: Students at Tezpur University, a central varsity in Assam, brought academic and administrative activities to a standstill by locking the main entrance and key buildings, demanding removal of the VC, but with no signs of a solution, the future of thousands of students hangs in the balance.The students for the past few weeks are demanding the immediate removal of VC Shambhu Nath Singh who is apparently absent from the campus over what students claimed was ‘academic irregularities’ and for disrespecting Zubeen Garg by holding student council elections a day after Zubeen's death during a state of mourning.The university’s in-charge registrar, Chandan Goswami, acknowledged the situation on Tuesday evening and said efforts are underway to bring about a solution.Students shut down most services at the university, paralyzing academic and administrative functions, officials said on Tuesday. For the last five days, students staged continuous sit-in protest at the entrance, permitting only emergency services.The movement has since evolved, with students and staff uniting against Singh over alleged financial and academic irregularities, including questionable appointments, concerns about infrastructure quality, and procurement at inflated prices.

TU administration has reached out to Assam governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya for assistance in resolving the situation, particularly with rescheduled semester-end exams set to begin on December 8.A student leader from the TU United Forum, which includes students, teachers, and non-teaching staff, said, "VC is absent in the campus and it's like a lockdown situation. The VC should resign immediately, and an acting VC should be appointed immediately."Repeated attempts to contact the VC failed with calls and messages on his phone going unanswered.The students are also calling for a probe into TU affairs by a sitting or retired Supreme Court judge and demand the formation of an independent student union.In October, after nearly a month of deadlock, Vice-Chancellor Shambhu Nath Singh proposed a "sincere and respectful dialogue" with all stakeholders to address and resolve the university's challenges.

A fact-finding team led by IIT Guwahati director Prof Devendra Jalihal, appointed by the Assam governor, also visited the university to investigate the alleged irregularities. Additionally, the Sonitpur district administration ordered a magisterial probe into the university's alleged disrespect towards Zubeen Garg.

A high-level team from the Union education ministry, including two joint secretary-rank officers, had also assessed the situation and reviewed the reported financial and academic lapses.The deadlock was raised in Parliament and the state assembly by opposition MPs and MLAs, but the protest persists as students remain firm in their demand for Singh's removal.