Gaurav Gogoi Asks PM Modi: What’s Happening at Tezpur University?

In a strongly worded letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi has expressed serious concerns over what he describes as “a severe institutional crisis” at Tezpur University, Assam.

Gogoi highlighted that the University, established under the Assam Accord to represent the state’s aspirations for quality higher education, is facing significant administrative and financial challenges under the current Vice Chancellor, Prof. Shambhu Nath Singh.

According to the MP, widespread dissatisfaction among students, faculty, and staff has escalated following the Vice Chancellor’s alleged insensitive remarks after the demise of Assam’s cultural icon, Late Zubeen Garg. The University’s failure to observe the state mourning period reportedly triggered campus unrest and prompted a magisterial inquiry by the Sonitpur District Administration.

The letter also references reports from the Tezpur University Teachers’ Association, which cite numerous administrative issues, including the frequent absence of the Vice Chancellor without formal delegation of authority, delays in decision-making, and an overall sense of administrative paralysis. Academic standards are said to have declined, evidenced by a significant drop in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) scores due to faculty shortages, stalled recruitment, and inadequate research support.

Financial and procurement irregularities have also been flagged, including allegations of unauthorized use of University property, excessive travel expenditures, procurement without tendering, and engagement of agencies lacking transparency. Additionally, appointments and extensions have reportedly been made in violation of the Tezpur University Act and Statutes, notably the tenure of the Finance Officer and the ad hoc creation of contractual positions.

Concerns extend to infrastructure, with newly constructed hostels and academic buildings reportedly showing structural defects, raising questions about supervision and quality control.

“Tezpur University has long been a premier centre of learning in the Northeast,” Gogoi wrote, emphasizing that its current decline underscores the urgent need for intervention to restore academic standards and institutional integrity.

The MP has requested the Prime Minister’s office to take immediate measures to address the challenges confronting the University.

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