The Vice-Chancellor of a prominent Central university in Assam is currently under intense scrutiny, nearly a year after similar controversies engulfed his counterpart at North Eastern Hill University in Shillong.
On September 27, 2025, members of the Tezpur University Teachers’ Association (TUTA) publicly accused the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Shambhu Nath Singh, of engaging in “serious financial and administrative irregularities.” These alleged lapses, they claim, have severely undermined the academic and institutional integrity of the university.
Expressing profound concern over Professor Singh’s leadership, the TUTA also strongly condemned his “disrespectful remarks” concerning Assam’s beloved cultural icon, Zubeen Garg.
Kusum Bania, the president of TUTA, confirmed that the association has formally submitted a memorandum to both Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. This document details the financial misconduct and urgently calls for the Vice-Chancellor’s immediate removal from office.
Professor Bania elaborated on the alleged irregularities, stating, “These issues include questionable practices in the procurement of materials, awarding of contracts, disposal of scrap, and construction projects funded by the Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA). We have observed multiple instances of poor-quality infrastructure, such as newly constructed hostels already showing cracks, seepage, and malfunctioning amenities.”
He further added, “Transparency and accountability are noticeably absent in contract management, with repeated awards going to the same vendors. There is also undue pressure being exerted on faculty and wardens to certify work without adequate access to proper documentation.”
The TUTA highlighted that the university’s finance office is being managed by an officer whose tenure has been extended without a regular appointment. This office has been criticized for mismanagement, significant delays in fund disbursement, and unprofessional conduct towards faculty, fostering a hostile work environment and hindering crucial research and departmental activities.
“Additional serious concerns include the deliberate elimination of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor position, irregular and ad hoc appointments to key administrative roles, arbitrary suspensions of administrative staff, and numerous vacancies in critical posts like the Registrar,” the association continued. “Furthermore, shortages of both teaching and administrative staff have led to a decline in academic standards, forcing research scholars into teaching duties and significantly slowing down institutional processes.” The TUTA is demanding a thorough inquiry into all these alleged irregularities.
Efforts to reach Professor Singh for his comments were unsuccessful. It is worth noting that in November 2024, students, teachers, and staff at NEHU raised similar accusations against Vice-Chancellor Prabha Shankar Shukla, leading to demands for his removal. Professor Shukla has since been away from campus.