Centre asks Tezpur University VC to go on leave, sets up probe panel

Nearly three months after protests erupted at Assam’s Tezpur University, the Union ministry of education has asked vice-chancellor Shambhu Nath Singh to immediately proceed on leave and has constituted a three-member inquiry committee to investigate allegations against him, officials said on Thursday.

The ministry has also appointed Prof Amrendra Kumar Das of IIT-Guwahati as pro vice-chancellor of Tezpur University till further orders.

The move follows sustained agitation by students and faculty since mid-September 2025 over alleged administrative, ecological, and financial irregularities during Singh’s tenure. The protests on December 29 marked 100 days of unrest, featuring a 24-hour hunger strike that demanded his removal and prompt central government intervention.

According to officials, the three-member inquiry committee will examine all issues related to the ongoing situation at Tezpur University, including the allegations against V-C Shambhu Singh. The committee will be headed by Prof N Lokendra Singh, vice-chancellor of Manipur University; with Prof Jagadish Kumar Patnaik, vice-chancellor of Nagaland University; and Prof Manish R Joshi, secretary, University Grants Commission (UGC), as its members.

“The vice-chancellor of Tezpur University shall recuse himself from all duties and proceed on leave immediately, and shall remain on leave till the completion of the enquiry,” said an education ministry official

According to an office memorandum of the education ministry dated December 31, the three-member committee is tasked with conducting a detailed and comprehensive inquiry into the findings and recommendations of the fact-finding committee report submitted by the office of the chancellor of Tezpur University, a central university in Assam.

Assam governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, who is also the chancellor of Tezpur University, had on October 8 constituted a fact-finding committee to probe allegations against VC Singh. The committee submitted its report after visiting the campus in mid-October, though the findings are yet to be made public.

The three-member committee of the ministry is also tasked with examining the circumstances that led to the present crisis on the central university campus, including the resignations tendered and the assumption of charge by various university functionaries. In addition, the committee will visit the campus, interact with all stakeholders, and review relevant documents, communications, and records as deemed necessary.

The committee has been asked to submit its report “as early as possible and within a maximum duration of three months” from December 31, the date on which the office memorandum was issued. HT has a copy of the office memorandum.

The situation at Tezpur University has remained tense since mid-September, with students accusing the vice-chancellor and the administration of disrespecting cultural icon Zubeen Garg during a period of public mourning. The protests also centre on alleged financial irregularities and claims of deforestation and ecological damage on the campus under Singh’s tenure.

Tensions escalated on September 22 after a heated confrontation between the VC and students, following which Singh stayed away from the campus. Since the unrest began, at least 11 faculty members and senior officials have resigned from their posts or from the university.