Tezpur University teachers accuse administration of neglecting Assamese books

Guwahati: The Tezpur University Teachers’ Association (TUTA) has accused the university administration of financial irregularities, alleging that no Assamese books were purchased in the past two financial years.

The teachers described this as a complete neglect of Assam’s language and culture.

TUTA, in a statement issued on Wednesday, claimed that Vice Chancellor Sambhu Nath Singh personally influenced the book procurement process by approving purchases only from a few Delhi-based publishers, bypassing empanelled local vendors and limiting the inclusion of Assamese titles.

The association said that during the 2024–25 financial year, Tezpur University received Rs 6.5 crore under the UGC grant-in-aid for capital assets, of which Rs 5.72 crore was allocated for books and journals.

Nearly Rs 4.56 crore, about 70 percent of the total fund, was reportedly spent, but no Assamese titles were bought despite a separate budget of Rs 2.91 lakh for 146 Assamese books.

TUTA added that even in FY 2025–26, no Assamese books have been procured. It called the situation a clear case of cultural disregard and lack of regional inclusion in a central university located in Assam.

The association also accused the administration of favoritism in vendor selection and demanded an independent probe into alleged mismanagement of public funds.

The controversy comes amid ongoing campus unrest since mid-September.

Teachers, students, and non-teaching staff have been staging protests against the Vice Chancellor over several issues, including his alleged disrespect toward singer Zubeen Garg after the artist’s death and charges of deforestation in the name of campus beautification.

Earlier, the Sonitpur district administration had ordered a magisterial inquiry into the Zubeen Garg controversy, while a fact-finding committee set up by the Assam Governor is currently reviewing complaints regarding the Vice Chancellor’s functioning.

Meanwhile, various student and staff groups have jointly protested against what they call the environmentally destructive felling of trees and bamboo within the campus.

Reacting to the criticism, Singh said that some individuals may have misrepresented facts and that he remains open to sincere and respectful dialogue with all stakeholders.

With teachers seeking an investigation into the alleged financial and cultural issues, the situation at Tezpur University remains tense.