Assam: Protest intensified at Tezpur University over financial irregularities and VC misconduct
Guwahati: Protests demanding the immediate resignation of Tezpur University Vice-Chancellor, Sambhu Nath Singh, have intensified following serious allegations of significant financial irregularities and corruption.
Students, faculty, and staff have united in their call for accountability, primarily targeting the controversial appointment and continued tenure of the Director of the Computer Centre, Ramakrishna Mathe.
The agitation escalated on Tuesday when a delegation of protestors met Acting Registrar Pritam Dey to question Mathe's presence in the office, given that his contract had officially expired on September 7.
The core of the dispute lies with the Computer Centre's leadership. The director's post, previously an unpaid, additional responsibility held by a Computer Engineering professor, was allegedly filled illegally a year ago by VC Sambhu Nath Singh. Singh appointed Mathe Ramakrishna as a contract employee with a hefty monthly salary of Rs 2 lakh.
Both the teachers' union and students have questioned the necessity and benefit of this costly appointment. Furthermore, Mathe is accused of replacing the centre's previously free anti-virus software with a questionable, paid version—a decision reportedly made on the advice of VC Singh. Student representatives lamented that these actions by the Vice-Chancellor have deprived students, the university's main stakeholders, of essential benefits.
The situation grew more alarming when Ramakrishna Mathe allegedly continued to act as Director after his contract expired, without valid extension documents. Armed with the Vice-Chancellor's perceived support, Mathe reportedly seized all keys to the computer centre and blocked student email IDs, preventing them from receiving mail. This move has raised serious privacy and security concerns, particularly among Science and Technology faculties worried about the security of critical research data.
When questioned about Mathe's term, the Acting Registrar claimed ignorance. The delegation's request to summon Mathe led to them being detained for four hours, during which Mathe allegedly abused them. He then produced a vague WhatsApp screenshot, reportedly showing a thumbnail approval from Vice-Chancellor Singh, as "proof" of his job extension.
Shocked by the "document," the students and teachers ordered Mathe to immediately vacate the centre and university premises. The Computer Centre Director’s room was subsequently locked, and a complaint was filed against Mathe under several sections of the BNS (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita), including sections 319, 318, 329, 65, 66, and 66D.
Further fueling the faculty's demand for Singh's dismissal is his alleged installation of audio-visual CCTV cameras in areas, including those where employees take their lunch breaks.
The protestors have formed a Joint Coordination Committee of students, faculty, and staff, and have vowed to continue their agitation until Vice-Chancellor Sambhu Nath Singh is dismissed.