- Tezpur University faces a campus shutdown for the sixth consecutive day due to protests
- Students and staff accuse Vice Chancellor Shambhu Nath Singh of corruption and absence
- Protests began over Zubeen Garg tribute insensitivity and expanded to governance issues
The Tezpur University in Sonitpur district, Assam, is facing a major crisis amid allegations of corruption and financial mismanagement. The university was established as part of the Centre's commitment under the 1985 Assam Accord.
Academic and administrative activities have been disrupted for the sixth consecutive day due to an escalating standoff, as students enforce a complete shutdown.
What began as a symbolic protest in September has now evolved into one of the institution's longest-running agitations.
At the center of the protests is Vice Chancellor Professor Shambhu Nath Singh. Students and some staff have levelled serious allegations of corruption, financial mismanagement, and the prolonged absence of the Vice Chancellor.
Students claim that key decisions have stalled because the university's highest governing body, the Executive Council, cannot function effectively without the VC, who has been absent from the campus since a heated exchange with students on September 22.
The protests initially erupted over the Zubeen Garg tribute issue in mid-September, as students reacted to what they considered the administration's insensitivity toward the cultural icon during a period of statewide mourning. As the unrest intensified, broader accusations of corruption, lack of transparency, and financial irregularities emerged, uniting multiple student groups.
On November 29, the protest escalated further. All academic activities were halted indefinitely, examinations were cancelled, and the main Jyoti Gate was barricaded to prevent entry into the campus. Sit-in demonstrations continue around the clock, marking over 70 days of confrontation.
The Tezpur University Teachers' Association and the Non-Teaching Employees' Association have publicly supported the students, urging authorities to urgently resolve the deadlock.
The issue has also attracted political attention. Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking a high-level investigation into the allegations and describing the VC's prolonged 73-day absence as unacceptable for a central university.
