Months after a Union government-appointed panel was tasked with examining the crisis at Tezpur University, students and research scholars are pressing for the disclosure of its findings, saying the enquiry has concluded but the report and subsequent decisions remain out of public view.
Key Takeaways:
- Students and research scholars say the statutory enquiry into Tezpur University in Assam has been completed, but its findings remain undisclosed.
- The enquiry panel was constituted on December 31, 2025, and was expected to submit its report by March 31, 2026.
- Students have sought Centre’s intervention, accountability for any wrongdoing and a time-bound decision on the report.
The statutory enquiry into the affairs of Tezpur University has become the focus of renewed demands for transparency, with students and research scholars seeking intervention from the Union Ministry of Education over the alleged delay in releasing the panel’s findings.
The students have urged the university Registrar to forward their representation to the Secretary of the Ministry of Education and the Additional Secretary, Department of Higher Education. They want the authorities to ensure a transparent and time-bound resolution of the matter.
Enquiry report remains undisclosed
The dispute centres on a statutory enquiry constituted under Section 9 of the Tezpur University Act, 1993.
According to the students’ representation, the enquiry committee was formed on December 31, 2025. It was given March 31, 2026, as the deadline for submitting its report.
The students now claim that the committee has completed its proceedings and submitted its report. However, they say neither the findings nor any decisions resulting from the enquiry have been made public.
This gap between the completion of the enquiry and disclosure of its outcome has become the main concern raised by the students.
They have called for the findings to be released and for the university and the Centre to clarify what action has followed from the enquiry.
Students seek accountability over former VC
The representation also raises concerns surrounding the tenure of former Vice-Chancellor Prof Shambhu Nath Singh.
The students have referred to Singh as “absconding” and have sought clarity on the action taken against him.
They have also demanded that responsibility be fixed wherever the enquiry establishes wrongdoing.
The statutory exercise was linked to a wider crisis at the university. Allegations against the then Vice-Chancellor included financial and administrative irregularities, an alleged breakdown in administration, academic concerns and his prolonged absence from the campus.
The students argue that disclosure of the enquiry findings is necessary to establish what happened and what corrective measures, if any, have been taken.
Wider issues remain unresolved
The students’ concerns extend beyond the enquiry report.
Their representation refers to unresolved matters involving student welfare, shortage of funds and prolonged administrative uncertainty at the university.
They have also highlighted the delay in conducting the convocation for the 2025 graduating batch.
The students have questioned whether the prolonged failure to resolve these issues could amount to retaliation against stakeholders who had raised allegations of corruption.
Along with publication of the enquiry findings, they have demanded the release of pending funds and a resolution of the delayed convocation.
Centre faces demand for written response
The students have sought a written acknowledgement and response from the Union Ministry of Education.
They warned that failure to provide meaningful communication could lead to an escalation of their protest. A complete shutdown of university functioning could form part of the next phase of their agitation, they said.
The students also warned that stakeholders could make public documents and evidence submitted before various fact-finding and enquiry committees if their concerns remain unanswered.
The warning adds pressure on the authorities to clarify the status of the statutory enquiry and explain what steps have followed its completion.
How the statutory enquiry was initiated
Student and faculty protests at Tezpur University intensified from September 2025 amid growing concerns over the functioning of the institution.
The developments eventually prompted intervention by the Centre.
On December 31, 2025, the Ministry of Education constituted a three-member enquiry panel. At the same time, it directed Singh to proceed on leave and recuse himself from all duties until the enquiry was completed.
The panel was headed by Manipur University Vice-Chancellor Prof N. Lokendra Singh. Nagaland University Vice-Chancellor Prof Jagadish Kumar Patnaik and UGC Secretary Prof Manish R. Joshi were its other members.
The committee was asked to examine “all matters pertaining to the ongoing situation” at Tezpur University, including the allegations against the Vice-Chancellor.
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The statutory enquiry followed an earlier fact-finding exercise ordered by the Assam Governor in October 2025. The Governor serves as the Chancellor of Tezpur University.
Demand for transparency grows
The students have linked the release of the enquiry findings to a broader demand for institutional transparency and accountability.
They have also referred to a Citizens’ Convention held in Guwahati in December 2025. Stakeholders at the convention discussed the possibility of creating an independent public enquiry committee involving educationists, RTI activists, human rights defenders, retired university faculty and retired High Court judges.
For the students, the immediate issue remains the status of the statutory enquiry report.
They have called for the findings to be made public, responsibility to be established wherever wrongdoing is found and outstanding administrative issues to be addressed.
They said the broader objective is to restore transparency, institutional accountability and trust in the administration of Tezpur University. (Edited by Enewstime Desk)