7 months ago
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Students and staffers of Tezpur University connected Monday (December 15, 2025) staged a nine-hour hunger strike, demanding a effect from the Ministry of Education (MoE) connected issues raised by them, including the contiguous removal of Vice-Chancellor Shambhu Nath Singh implicit alleged fiscal irregularities.
The assemblage has remained nether a shutdown enforced by the agitators since the extremity of November, with constricted relaxation being allowed for the behaviour of term-end examinations since past week.
The Tezpur University United Forum (TUUF), a associated level of students, teachers and non-teaching staffers nether the aegis of which protests person been going on, said the hunger onslaught was held from 9 a.m.
"The onslaught aims to request swift enactment from the MoE against Mr. Singh. The MoE has been ignoring the community’s increasing vexation implicit the ministry’s continued soundlessness contempt sustained agitation and repeated appeals," TUUF said successful a statement.
Questioning the “prolonged silence” of the MoE, it added, "Even aft aggregate informal assurances, the ministry has failed to supply capable solution arsenic promised by them connected December 6.”
A apical delegation of the MoE, led by caput Vineet Joshi, had visited the assemblage connected December 6, but was stuck wrong the field arsenic students blocked the gate.
The squad was yet allowed to permission astir midnight pursuing a handwritten assurance connected a blank portion of insubstantial by delegation subordinate and Department of Higher Education’s associated caput Saumya Gupta that Mr. Singh volition not beryllium allowed to transportation retired immoderate work pending inquiry.
The TUUF maintained that the "responsibility for restoring world and administrative normalcy lies with the MoE" and warned that protests volition intensify if decisive enactment is not taken without further delay.
They reiterated their demands for Mr. Singh's removal, just and unbiased high-level enquiry against him, and placing him connected authoritative administrative leave.
The varsity, located connected the northbound slope of the Brahmaputra successful Sonitpur district, had been nether implicit shutdown since November 29 arsenic a associated forum of each stakeholders has demanded the removal of the V-C and an enquiry against him.
The concern 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.
Apart from fiscal irregularities, the agitators are besides protesting alleged deforestation carried retired nether Mr. Singh's administration.
The senior-most module member, Dhruba Kumar Bhattacharyya, had assumed complaint arsenic acting vice-chancellor suo motu connected December 5, citing the Tezpur University Act, 1993.
At his request, the students had agreed to beryllium for the term-end examinations from December 11, though different activities successful this cardinal assemblage remained nether the shutdown.
Mr. Singh has stayed distant from the field aft the assemblage witnessed heated scenes and an speech of words betwixt him and students connected September 22, starring to a concern wherever Mr. Singh had to astir fly the spot.
He had convened a virtual gathering of the Board of Management (BOM) connected December 4, and appointed Mass Communication Professor Joya Chakraborty arsenic pro-VC, a relation she declined.
