Students of Tezpur University on agitation in the campus.
Credit: Tezpur University students
Guwahati: After peaceful agitation for more than 100 days by the students and the staffs demanding removal of the Vice-Chancellor of Tezpur University in Assam, the Union Ministry of Education has constituted an enquiry committee and have asked the VC to go on leave till completion of the probe.
The Ministry also appointed Amarendra Kumar Das, a professor of design at IIT Guwahati, as the pro-VC of Tezpur University.
The agitators have been demanding removal of the VC, Sambhu Nath Singh for his alleged mismanagement, corruption and absence for long. The situation turned worse on November 29, when the agitators shutdown the university as their demand for a probe against Singh remained unattended. This disrupted normal activities including clases and examinations.
As the students took up hunger strike and continued protests on the campus braving the severe cold weather conditions, the Union Ministry of Education on Thursday (December 31) set up a three-member enquiry committee headed by N. Lokendra Singh, the Vice-Chancellor of Manipur University. Jagadish Kumar Patnaik, VC of Nagaland University and Manish R. Joshi, secretary of UGC are the two other members of the committee.
"The committee shall conduct a detailed/comprehensive enquiry into the findings and recommendations of the fact finding committee by the Chancellor. It will also ascertain the circumstances leading to the present crisis situation in the varsity campus, also including the resignations tendered and assumption of charges by various university functionaries," said the official letter issued by Joyful Z. Khawzawl, an under secretary in the Ministry of Education.
The team will visit the campus, meet all stakeholders and review the documents as deemed fit and will submit its report in maximum in three months.
Not complete withdrawal: Members of Tezpur University Teachers’ Association, Tezpur University Non-Teaching Employees’ Association, and the students, however, met on Thursday night and decided not to completely withdraw the agitation till the findings of the enquiry turns in favour of the university's stakeholders.
"We express strong hope and cautious optimism that the enquiry process will be conducted in a fair, transparent, and comprehensive manner, free from any political interference, external pressure, or institutional bias. The fraternity firmly asserts that the inquiry must objectively examine all allegations and circumstances surrounding the crisis of Prof. Shambhu Nath Singh and must ultimately lead to justice and his removal," said a statement issued on the midnight of January 1.
The stakeholders have categorically stated that while this resolution marks an important milestone, the movement will not be withdrawn in its entirety until the findings of the Enquiry Committee conclusively uphold justice and until the outcomes turn in favour of the stakeholders, it added.
A meeting is likely to take decisions on Monday for restoration of normal activities including classes and examinations.