Tezpur: Tezpur University has plunged into turmoil as students intensify protests against Vice Chancellor Prof. Shambhu Nath Singh, whose frequent and prolonged absences from campus have sparked one of the most serious student agitations in the institution’s history.
According to official documents accessed by The Assam Rising, Prof. Singh undertook 51 official visits between April 2023 and September 2025, spending a total of 388 days away from the university. Most of these trips were reportedly to Delhi, with a few to Jaipur and Guwahati. In his two years and five months in office, the Vice Chancellor averaged nearly 16 days of travel per month, with his longest recorded trip lasting 22 days in February 2025.
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Students allege that his extended absence has led to administrative stagnation and a communication breakdown between the university’s leadership and its student body. The discontent came to a head on October 8, when hundreds of students launched a fresh wave of protests after learning that the Vice Chancellor had been away from campus for the third consecutive week.
Protesters have demanded Prof. Singh’s immediate resignation, accusing him of neglecting both academic and administrative responsibilities.
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Amid the ongoing unrest, the administration faced further upheaval as Acting Registrar Pritam Dev was relieved of his duties on October 16 following his resignation, which was accepted by Acting Vice Chancellor Prof. Raja Rafiqul Haque. The situation remains tense, with students vowing to continue their agitation until their demands are addressed.
