Tezpur University teachers, students demand V-C’s ouster

GUWAHATI

Teachers, non-teaching staff and students of Assam’s Tezpur University demanded action against “absconding” Vice-Chancellor Shambhu Nath Singh, who has allegedly not been present on the campus since September 22, on Friday (October 31, 2025).

The Tezpur University Teachers’ Association (TUTA) called for Mr. Singh’s immediate removal over “serious irregularities” in the procurement of books and e-resources during the 2024-25 financial year.

Mr. Singh had earlier been accused of corruption and administrative mismanagement, apart from disrespecting Assamese cultural icon Zubeen Garg after he died in Singapore on September 19. He allegedly stayed away from the university for 388 days between April 2023 and September 2025.

According to TUTA, the university received ₹6.5 crore under the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) Capital Assets scheme. Of this, approximately ₹4.5 crore was spent on books and e-resources, the bulk of which was awarded to a small group of Delhi-based vendors.

“The process of vendor selection appeared arbitrary and in violation of established General Financial Rules 2017, raising grave concerns about transparency and governance. Many of these vendors have previously been linked to the Bodoland University book procurement controversy, which involved allegations of inflated pricing and supply of substandard materials,” TUTA said.

TUTA highlighted that ₹1.04 crore was spent on the purchase of e-resources that display “alarming signs of irregularity”. Many of these titles were found to lack credible publishing details, ISBN verification, or academic authenticity, while some e-books – billed at exorbitant rates – were freely available online or were of dubious origin, it said.

TUTA urged the UGC, the Ministry of Education, and other competent authorities to initiate a forensic audit of the entire procurement process and remove the Vice-Chancellor from office pending inquiry. “Accountability must begin at the top. When public funds and institutional credibility are compromised, leadership must answer. We believe the immediate removal of the Vice Chancellor is necessary to ensure a fair and transparent investigation,” the association said.

TUTA and the Tezpur University Non-Teaching Employees’ Association have been demonstrating against the Vice-Chancellor for more than a month. On October 29, members of these organisations came in black attire and black masks to protest against “corruption and injustice”.

The Tezpur University Students’ Fraternity have also been demanding the Vice-Chancellor’s ouster for his “mismanagement and authoritarian rule to suppress voices of dissent”.

The Vice-Chancellor was not immediately available for comment.