Students shut down Assam's Tezpur University indefinitely, demand removal of VC

Tezpur, Assam: Continuing their agitation since mid-September against Vice Chancellor Shambhu Nath Singh alleging corruption and financial irregularities, students of Assam's Tezpur University have shut down the institution demanding immediate replacement of the VC.

The students of this central varsity have shut down all services, including all forms of academic activities, in the campus from November 29 located in Sonitpur district for an indefinite period, forcing the administration to cancel all end-term examinations.

The Tezpur University Teachers' Association (TUTA) and Tezpur University Non-Teaching Employees' Association have extended their full support to the agitation, being carried out under the aegis of Tezpur University United Forum (TUUF), thereby making the university non-functional for the last four days.

The VC abstained from the campus after the university had witnessed heated scenes and an exchange of words between him and students on September 22, leading to a situation where Singh had to nearly flee from the spot.

"Our protest continued for the third month, but no concrete step has been taken yet. So, we intensified our agitation and started the lockdown. Students, faculty and non-teaching staff are united with just one uncompromising demand -- immediate suspension of the absconding VC," a student member of the TUUF told PTI.

The situation in Tezpur University had been tense since mid-September with students accusing the VC and varsity authorities of not showing due respect to cultural icon Zubeen Garg even as the state was mourning his death.

The Sonitpur District Administration later ordered a magisterial probe against Tezpur University authorities for allegedly disrespecting Garg. A fact-finding committee, formed by the Assam Governor to look into allegations concerning the functioning of the Vice Chancellor, also visited the varsity to enquire into the matter.

"Our demand also includes immediate publication of the enquiry reports prepared by both the governor's Fact-Finding Committee and the subsequent team from the Union Ministry of Education," the TUUF member said.

The stakeholders have declared the lockdown indefinite, pledging to continue until suspension, transparency and accountability are fully ensured, she asserted.

Supporting the demands and agitation, TUTA President Kusum Kumar Bania said that the VC has been absent from the university for the last 74 days, even though a fact-finding committee and a delegation from the Ministry of Education visited the campus nearly one and a half months ago.

"During this period, our students continued their protest peacefully for 70 days, demonstrating remarkable restraint and responsibility. However, there is a limit to how long they can wait and this is something the government must recognise with urgency," he told PTI.

The Professor of the Chemical Sciences department said that the prolonged absence of the VC from the campus has brought the administrative functioning of the university to a standstill, and students, teachers and non-teaching staff are facing severe hardship.

In this context, the students have initiated the second phase of their protest to make it clear to the government that "enough is enough", and they have declared a complete shutdown of the university, Bania said.

"On behalf of the TUTA, I state unequivocally that we -- teachers and non-teaching staff -- respect and stand in solidarity with the students' decision. The government must take immediate and decisive action to restore normalcy and ensure the timely resolution of this crisis," he added.

Earlier during the day, Rajya Sabha member from Assam, Ajit Kumar Bhuyan, drew the attention of the House to the prevailing situation in the varsity and pointed out that the central institute was established by an Act of Parliament in 1994 as one of the outcomes of the Assam Accord.

"The students are staging dharna and protests, and no sincere attempt has been made to resolve the impasse. Several facts and information surfaced in the public domain regarding irregularities and corruption, which are taking place under direct and tacit approval of the authority," he alleged.

The VC, who is not in campus for more than two months, cannot escape responsibility simply by keeping away from the University, Bhuyan stressed.

"The need of the hour is to bring back the educational atmosphere to normalcy. For one individual, the highest temple of learning cannot be allowed to suffer. The government should be cautious in the matter of appointment of VC and any extraneous consideration should not be pursued in appointing VCs," he added.

Due to the indefinite shutdown, the TU administration has cancelled the upcoming end-term examinations and announced that these will be rescheduled to ensure that students are not academically disadvantaged.

This is the first instance in the history of the university that academic schedules, that too end-term examinations, have been formally altered due to a student-led uprising against an administrative head.

During this period of agitation, at least 11 faculty members and officials have relinquished their positions, starting with PRO Samaresh Barman. The latest person to leave the office is Finance Officer Braja Bandhu Mishra.

The resignees include in-charge registrar, several deans, directors and assistant deans.