Amid protests over alleged financial irregularities, Tezpur University V-C sent on leave, probe panel set up

Officials from the Education Ministry led by Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi had visited the university campus in December, and met the protesting staff and student representatives.

Tezpur University Vice-Chancellor Shambhu Nath Singh has been directed to go on leave immediately and a three-member inquiry committee has been formed to probe the allegations against him, a senior official in the Education Ministry said on Thursday.

Singh will remain on leave till completion of the inquiry, the official said. The inquiry panel — led by Manipur University V-C Professor N Lokendra Singh and including Nagaland University V-C Prof Jagadish Kumar Patnaik and UGC Secretary Manish R Joshi, is expected to submit its report within three months.

Tezpur University has been roiled by protests since September. Students and staff have been calling for the removal of the V-C over matters including alleged financial irregularities and Singh’s prolonged absence from the campus. Protesters declared an academic shutdown at the university in November. On Monday, they staged a 24-hour hunger strike on the completion of 100 days of their agitation without any success.

Singh was appointed the V-C of Tezpur University, a central varsity, in 2023 for a five-year term.

The inquiry committee – constituted by the President, who is the Visitor of the university — will inquire into all matters pertaining to the ongoing situation at the university, including the allegations levelled against the V-C.

The panel will look into the findings and recommendations of the fact-finding committee report submitted by the office of the Chancellor of Tezpur University. It will also ascertain the circumstances leading to the crisis at the university, including the resignations tendered.

Amid protests, officials at the university, including the then registrar in-charge had stepped down from their positions.

The fact-finding committee, led by IIT Guwahati Director Devendra Jalihal, was constituted by the Governor of Assam, who is the Chancellor of the university, in October. The committee’s report was submitted to the Governor, according to the Centre’s response to a question in Parliament last month.

On Wednesday, the Education Ministry communicated to the Registrar in-charge of the university that Prof Amrendra Kumar Das from the Department of Design at IIT Guwahati has been appointed as the Pro Vice-Chancellor of the university till further orders.