Assam orders probe into corruption allegations against KKHSOU vice-chancellor

Guwahati: The Assam government has initiated an inquiry into alleged corruption and administrative misconduct at Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University (KKHSOU), naming Vice-Chancellor Rajendra Prasad Das as one of the officials under scrutiny.

The probe follows a formal complaint lodged by the Assam Public Works (APW), a Guwahati-based civic organization.

According to officials in the Higher Education Department, the investigation will also examine the roles of former Registrar Arupjyoti Choudhury, now serving as Vice-Chancellor of Madhavdev University, and Deputy Registrar Ratul Patowary.

An official notification issued in October by Narayan Konwar, Secretary of the Higher Education Department, appointed Ashrumani Malakar, Additional Secretary, as the inquiry officer to lead the investigation.

APW, in its complaint submitted to the Governor and Chief Minister of Assam, alleged that Vice-Chancellor Das misused government grants and student funds for various construction and repair works without following tender procedures.

The organization also accused him of protecting employees facing sexual harassment charges and of violating university norms by unlawfully extending the tenure of the then Registrar, Arupjyoti Choudhury.

The civic body claimed it had attached documentary evidence to support its allegations, asserting that Das’s actions had caused financial losses and damaged the institution’s reputation.

In a related development, APW alleged that the university dismissed a professor who raised concerns about the irregularities and reinstated him after the Gauhati High Court intervened.

The complaint further stated that multiple women employees had accused Deputy Registrar Ratul Patowary of sexual harassment.

The university’s Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) reportedly found Patowary guilty, yet no disciplinary action was taken against him.

An affidavit submitted by in-charge Registrar Pranjit Borah before the Gauhati High Court confirmed that the university had failed to act, prompting one of the complainants to seek legal redress.

If substantiated, these charges could expose serious administrative failures and misuse of power at Assam’s only open university.

APW president Abhijit Sharma and general secretary Dhruvjyoti Talukdar said their organization had submitted comprehensive evidence in August to both the Governor and the Chief Minister, who also serves as the Chancellor of KKHSOU.

Established in 2006, Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University functions under Assam’s Higher Education Department and remains the state’s only institution dedicated to open and distance learning.