The prolonged crisis at Tezpur University escalated sharply on Saturday, December 6, after the Ministry of Education issued a written assurance declaring that Vice-Chancellor Prof. Shambhunath Singh would no longer oversee university administration and that a formal enquiry would be initiated into his conduct. The announcement marked a significant shift in the 79-day standoff that has paralysed the campus.
The decision followed a dramatic day-long confrontation during the visit of an MoE delegation led by Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi. The team was met with massive demonstrations as students, faculty members and staff rallied in large numbers to reiterate their long-standing demands. Protesters claimed that the delegation offered no concrete timeline, written commitment or satisfactory resolution, fuelling widespread anger across the university.
With frustrations reaching a breaking point, thousands of students blocked the main internal roads, bringing all movement on campus to a standstill. In a rare show of defiance, the protesters refused to allow Secretary Joshi and his delegation to leave until they provided a written and verifiable response. The stalemate continued for hours, prompting heavy security deployment around the university.
Student and faculty representatives said the confrontation was the result of months of unanswered representations, delayed responses and what they described as “systemic indifference” from authorities. They expressed deep disappointment over the lack of institutional accountability, asserting that confidence in the system had been severely eroded.
Amid mounting tensions, student bodies announced a complete shutdown of all academic and administrative activities, calling it an unavoidable step after exhausting every peaceful option. They warned that the agitation would intensify unless authorities issued a definitive, time-bound resolution addressing their demands.
The MoE delegation eventually departed only after handing over key written recommendations, including the withdrawal of Prof. Singh’s administrative powers and the initiation of an official enquiry into his functioning. As uncertainty now hangs over Tezpur University’s immediate future, security remains tightened across the campus, and the agitation shows no signs of easing.
