5 months ago
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Agitators astatine Tezpur University connected Sunday (December 7, 2025) vowed to enforce a shutdown astatine the institution, which has been witnessing sustained protests since mid-September against alleged irregularities by Vice-Chancellor Shambhu Nath Singh, till a ceremonial connection from the Centre regarding the V-C’s removal is received.
The picturesque field connected the northbound slope of the Brahmaputra successful Sonitpur territory of Assam witnessed precocious voltage play from Saturday (December 6, 2025) day till aboriginal connected Sunday (December 7, 2025) arsenic a apical delegation from the Union Ministry of Education, led by Secretary Vineet Joshi, could not permission the premises astir midnight and was stuck wrong their vehicles for much than 3 hours.
The high-level squad was allowed to permission station midnight pursuing a written assurance connected a blank insubstantial by the Department of Higher Education’s Joint Secretary Saumya Gupta, who was a portion of the delegation.
The hand-written assurance, accessed by PTI, said that V-C Singh volition not administer the cardinal varsity till a “strict and time-bound enquiry against him” is completed.
Students, teachers and non-teaching staffers, nether the aegis of a associated level Tezpur University United Forum (TUUF), person been protesting against the beleaguered V-C since mid-September implicit alleged corruption and different irregularities committed by him, and demanded his removal on with an enquiry against his actions.
The TUUF expressed disappointment that adjacent aft 79 consecutive days of peaceful protests, nary factual solution oregon actionable assurance had been provided to region the V-C.
“The students, module and non-teaching staffers are going for a implicit non-compliance and non-cooperation until a factual statement is officially received. After 79 days of sustained agitation, the fraternity remains resolute, awaiting the MoE’s ceremonial confirmation,” TUUF said successful a statement.
It acknowledged receiving the informal written connection from the MoE team, indicating that an enquiry volition beryllium initiated into the allegations concerning the V-C.
“Students presumption this arsenic a preliminary step, but emphasise that the protestation volition proceed until an official, ceremonial notification is issued and factual enactment follows,” TUUF said.
The students of this cardinal assemblage person enforced a “complete shutdown” of each activities, including those related to academics, connected the field since November 29 for an indefinite period, forcing the medication to cancel each end-term examinations.
The MoE’s hand-written assurance, which facilitated their exit from the field aboriginal connected Sunday (December 7, 2025), highlighted that it had a associated gathering with the agitators and determination were “multiple issues” with the governance benignant of the VC.
“Allegations were heard and discussed. The deptt of educn (sic) is committed to initiate a strict and clip bound enquiry against him and during the pendancy (sic) of the aforesaid helium volition not beryllium administering the university,” Ms. Gupta wrote successful her assurance, fixed connected behalf of the Ministry of Education (MoE).
She besides said successful the assurance enactment that till further determination is taken, presumption quo beryllium maintained.
The three-member team, comprising UGC’s acting Chairman Joshi, Ms. Gupta and different Joint Secretary Armstrong Pame, on with apical constabulary and civilian medication officials of Sonitpur district, reached the TU field connected Saturday (December 6, 2025) day to conscionable the agitators, but were blocked astatine the main gross by the agitators.
The Registrar in-charge of the university, Chandan Goswami, told PTI that the cardinal squad could exit the premises, aft a written assurance was provided to the agitators.
He besides said that Mass Communication Professor Joya Chakraborty, whom Singh had named pro-V-C connected Thursday, volition not beryllium assuming charge. Dhruba Kumar Bhattacharyya, the senior-most module member, volition beryllium the acting V-C.
Police reinforcements were deployed astatine the gross since Saturday evening arsenic the protesters raised slogans against the vice-chancellor and sought “azadi” from him and his misrule.
To forestall the constabulary contingent from entering the field successful bid to rescue the visiting team, hundreds of agitating women sat connected the roadworthy blocking the main entranceway gate. The constabulary visibly did not person immoderate women contingent.
Speaking to reporters connected the campus, Mr. Joshi said, “We came present to conscionable the students, teachers, unit members and recognize their presumption of the caller developments. We had a fruitful treatment with them. They person fixed america their feedback.” He said the ministry is processing each accusation and due enactment volition beryllium taken, noting that 2 fact-finding inquiries had already been conducted.
“Based connected these, the cardinal authorities volition instrumentality the substance forward. Whatever determination we take, I americium definite it volition beryllium successful the involvement of the university,” Mr. Joshi said.
All end-term examinations person been cancelled, and the Tezpur University Teachers’ Association (TUTA) and Tezpur University Non-Teaching Employees' Association (TUNTEA) person extended their afloat enactment to the agitation.
The V-C abstained from coming to the field aft the assemblage had witnessed heated scenes and an speech of words betwixt him and students connected September 22, starring to a concern wherever Singh had to astir fly from the spot.
The concern successful Tezpur University had been tense since mid-September with students accusing the V-C and varsity authorities of not showing owed respect to taste icon Zubeen Garg adjacent arsenic the authorities was mourning his death.
