Tezpur University: A Crisis of Leadership, Legacy, and Lost Opportunities

As an alumnus of Tezpur University (TU), I have watched the unfolding drama on the campus with a mix of nostalgia, frustration, and, increasingly, a call for accountability from all sides. What began as a tragic cultural loss has spiraled into an institutional paralysis that threatens the very soul of a once-promising university. Let’s dissect this mess, hold the guilty accountable, and chart a path forward—because TU deserves better than the collective failures we’ve witnessed.

The Spark: Zubeen Garg’s Tragic Death and a Tone-Deaf Response

The unexpected death of Zubeen Garg, Assam’s beloved singer and cultural icon, on September 19, 2025, sent shockwaves across the state. Found unresponsive while swimming near a yacht during the Northeast India Festival in Singapore, Garg—often called the "Voice of Assam"—was pronounced dead on arrival, initially attributed to drowning. The news plunged Assam into profound grief, with the government declaring a three-day mourning period (September 19–22). Vigils, candlelight marches, and tributes poured in, reflecting Garg's role as a force for a united Assamese identity and social equality.

Yet, at Tezpur University, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Shambhu Nath Singh's response was nothing short of apathetic and disrespectful. Reports indicate he restricted memorial events and pressed ahead with student elections on September 21—right in the heart of the mourning window. This wasn't just administrative oversight; it was a blatant disregard for cultural sentiment in a state where Garg was revered as a legend. Singh's absence from campus for weeks afterward only amplified perceptions of detachment, turning grief into outrage.

That said, the protesters' initial demand for a full three-day suspension of classes struck me as excessive and unprecedented. Even after the passing of Assamese cultural legend Bharatratna Bhupen Hazarika in 2011, no such blanket academic halt was demanded or granted at TU. Mourning is essential, but turning it into a multi-day vacation risks politicizing grief. 

Still, the chargesheet filed yesterday (December 12, 2025) in Guwahati's CJM court — indicting seven accused, under BNS Sections 103 (culpable homicide/murder) and 61 (conspiracy) — vindicates the depth of the tragedy. With 12000+ pages of evidence revealing a financial conspiracy spanning 18 months, it's clear Garg's death was no mere accident. TU VC's insensitivity now looks even more egregious in hindsight.

The Cascade: From Cultural Outrage to Anti-Corruption Uprising

What started as a cultural slight quickly cascaded into a full-blown anti-corruption movement, and here, my emmpathy lies firmly with the students and faculty. By mid-September, allegations against VC Singh exploded: procurement irregularities (e.g., a ₹ 14 crore furniture scam awarded repeatedly to one vendor without bids), misuse of HEFA funds leading to shoddy infrastructure like cracked hostels, rigged recruitments (pressuring department heads to manipulate shortlists), unauthorized appointments (e.g., a paid Computer Centre Director post), and Singh's staggering 388+ days of absence since April 2023. These aren't fringe complaints; they're systemic rot, exposed through RTI queries and stakeholder testimonies.

The protesters — students, staff, and faculty via the Tezpur University United Forum  (TUUF) — deserve empathy for their endurance. They've braved overnight vigils in the cold and an 85-day shutdown to demand transparency. The villains here, as far as I see, are the dilly-dallying governments.

The Central government, via the Ministry of Education (MoE), has been procrastinating. Two high-level committees' reports (the Governor's fact-finding panel submitted October 15, and MoE's own led by Joint Secretary Armstrong Pame submitted in late October) have been gathering dust for over two months. The government, for some reason, hasn't released the reports. 

However, on December 7, a new committee, led by Education Secretary Vineet Joshi, assured a time-bound inquiry, while barring VC Singh from duties. But his delegation was humiliated by the protesters by trapping them for three hours inside an office. The protesters, apparently, were frustrated because the assurance was handwritten. 

All of the three Central government steps, to me, look like evasive tactics, rather than leadership. They seem to be shielding a political appointee at the expense of an entire university.

The state government fares hardly better. CM Himanta Biswa Sarma delivered decisively on the Zubeen probe—kudos for the swift investigation and chargesheet—but his response to the TU crisis has been tepid: a (now-rejected) pro-VC recommendation and vague calls for 'dialogue'. As Assam's CM and an influential BJP leader, Sarma could have pressed the Centre harder for intervention and solution. But the stalemate drags on, with end-semester exams cancelled and PhD admissions stalled.

A Path to Resolution: Compromise in the Wake of the Chargesheet

With the chargesheet now filed—confirming murder, conspiracy, and financial motives—it's time for compromise and cooperation from both sides. The governments (central and state) must act first: Release the inquiry reports within seven days, suspend VC Singh pending formal outcomes, and appoint the senior-most professor as acting VC under the TU Act. No more procrastination—transparency is the olive branch.

On the other side, TU faculty, staff, and students must recognize the chargesheet as a victory: The cultural grievance that sparked this has been validated, and the matter is now in the judiciary's hands for a fast-track trial. Continuing the indefinite non-cooperation — barricading gates, rejecting even handwritten assurances from MoE officials — risks turning a righteous cause into self-sabotage. It's time to return to academics, if at all possible: Compress the semester, offer online catch-ups, and declare amnesty to prevent year-loss for students and researchers.

Both sides need to meet halfway — perhaps through a mediated 'townhall' facilitated by the UGC — to rebuild trust. In light of the proactive investigation leading to yesterday's indictment, this is a moment for de-escalation, not escalation. 

But can TU ever rise back to its former academic glory? Considered in the light of its plummeting placements and rankings over the last 5-7 years, that's a haunting question.

Zooming Out: TU's Historical Legacy and the Erosion of Excellence

To answer that, we must zoom out to TU's founding vision. Enacted in 1993 and operationalized in 1994, the central university's primary focus was on science and technology (S&T). TU was envisioned to be a compact, S&T hub in the Northeast, emphasizing on fundamental sciences and engineering. And it did begin to deliver on that vision. Under VC Prof. Mihir Kanti Chaudhuri's leadership (2007-2017), the university vastly expanded its academic, research, and residential infrastructure; and secured consultancies/collaborations from several corporations and organisations, including PSUs. Resultantly, its ranking soared: it got ranked no. 5 among India's top general universities (NIRF, 2016) and no. 20 among world's top small universities (THE, 2018). All of these happened primarily because of its S&T focus and compact size. 

During my time at TU (when student-strength was around 2000 and faculty-strength was around 300), I witnessed this phenomenon firsthand: rigorous and water-tight curriculums, strong focus on applied research and training, innovative co-curricular clubs & events, cosmopolitan hostels, zero external distractions, and small batch-sizes that fostered mentorship, innovation, and excellence. 

Protests were unthinkable — primarily because there was no time to think about activism. 

But all of these began to change since the late 2010s. The university, for some reason, began spiralling down into intellectual autarkism and populism — with Assamese ethno-centrism seeping in across departments, elbowing out other perspectives and narratives.

The result of this has been simple but severe: both placements and rankings have plummeted — hitting new lows each passing year.

Can TU Still be Salvaged?

Of course — is my answer. But it would require cooperation from all stakeholders: central government, state government, university faculty, staff, and students. Here are a few plausible steps:-

- The governments (central and state) must release the inquiry reports within seven days, suspend VC Singh pending formal outcomes, and appoint the senior-most professor as acting VC under the TU Act. No more procrastination.

- The Central government must refocus budgets on S&T infrastructure and capacity. Reinvent the university as a node for the Central government's technological and industrial missions, especially for nonurban/rural adaptation and application. 

- Severely curtail non-S&T strengths, by eliminating undergrad/integrated programs, retaining only small postgrad and PhD cohorts. 

- Link all departmental/disciplinary strengths to campus placements. Curtail faculty and student strengths of those departments/disciplines that fail to meet pre-benchmarked placement targets. 

- Mandate all non-S&T departments/disciplines to design model policy frameworks and assess existing policies — with the larger goal of achieving the governments' visions of Viksit Assam and Viksit Bharat.

These suggestions don't entail downsizing. Rather, they symbolize rediscovering original purpose. At a time when when nations around the world are turning protectionist and nationalist, the need for S&T R&D and self-reliance on critical technologies and industries has never been more. It's time the nation's highest authority remind everyone in the chain — from the Union Education Ministry to the TU faculty and students  — the simple mantra: Keep the purpose first. 

Final Word

This crisis exposes failures at every level: A central government too timid to act, a state government too disinterested to intervene, and protesters too entrenched to compromise. But hope endures — TU's legacy of excellence isn't lost, just buried under ego and inertia. With the chargesheet filed, let's turn the page. TU can revive and rise again, but only if we all prioritize its future over past grudges. As an alumnus, I'm rooting for that revival—because TU shaped me, and it can shape generations more.