Fresh allegations surface against Tezpur University VC over Hindi faculty appointment

Guwahati: Tezpur University Vice Chancellor Shambhu Nath Singh, already facing multiple corruption allegations, is now accused of orchestrating irregularities in the recruitment of an Assistant Professor in the Hindi Department.

Sources reveal that VC Singh allegedly exerted pressure to appoint an 'unqualified candidate', Goma Devi Sharma, despite her name initially being excluded from the shortlist for the unreserved post.

The alleged malpractice centered on the interview held on September 25, 2023.

VC Singh reportedly issued written instructions to the chairperson of the screening committee, Raza Rafiqul Hoque, to add six new candidates, including Goma Devi Sharma, to the initial shortlist.

Through screening committee chief Hoque, VC Singh allegedly exerted undue pressure on the then Head of the Hindi Department, Pramod Meena, and other committee members to secure Sharma’s selection.

Sources said on the day of the interview, VC Singh summoned Professor Meena to his chamber just before the process began, where he was reprimanded in front of the Registrar in-charge.

Meena claims the VC threatened him, saying, “Before the interview, the VC called me to his office and told me that I cannot ask any question during the interview. If I speak anything, he will not allow me to stay in the university.”

Sources indicate that instead of inviting subject experts suggested by the department, the Vice Chancellor allegedly called his "own people" to serve on the interview panel, ensuring his candidate's selection.

Despite other candidates being more experienced and Dr. Sharma's performance deemed "not satisfactory," the Vice Chancellor personally proposed her name and ensured her appointment, according to Professor Meena.

Specific concerns have been raised regarding Dr. Goma Devi Sharma's qualifications and her previous application history.

The University's advertisement for the position required a diploma or degree in translation and linguistics as a specialization, a qualification Dr. Goma Devi Sharma reportedly did not possess.

Her submitted certificate, which claimed ten years of teaching experience, did not mention the UGC pay scale. Furthermore, during the period cited, she was also teaching at Army Public School Narengi in Guwahati.

Goma Devi had applied for the same post in 2021 as well but was not shortlisted. The then Head of Department, Anju Lata, had emailed the Registrar in-charge at that time, clarifying that Devi’s teaching experience certificate was invalid due to the lack of UGC pay scales and that her published work was insufficient per UGC regulations.

Concerns about potential malpractice were raised before the interview, but allegedly dismissed due to the Vice Chancellor's interference.

A person named Shraddha Rahi sent an email to relevant university officials on September 23, 2023 (two days before the interview), raising apprehensions, but no action was taken.

Following her allegedly illegal appointment, sources claim the Vice Chancellor granted Sharma preferential treatment, appointing her as a hostel warden and allotting her a university quarter despite her lack of seniority, bypassing rules and overlooking more senior faculty members.

Sources claim that a few Hindi faculty members aware of the alleged illegal appointment have since been subjected to repeated harassment by the Vice Chancellor, including the pending of their CAS promotions.

This is not the first time VC Shambhu Nath Singh has faced such charges. He previously faced a similar allegation of irregularities in the recruitment of Akhilesh Kumar as an Associate Professor in the Education Department, a process sources also claimed involved the manipulation of the candidate shortlist.

Goma Devi Sharma and VC Shambhu Nath Singh were not available for comments.

The revelations add fuel to the ongoing protests by the Teachers’ Association, staff, and students of Tezpur University, who are demanding the Vice Chancellor's immediate removal due to serious allegations of financial irregularities and administrative misconduct, recently amplified by a controversy involving Assam’s beloved singer Zubeen Garg.