Students, staffers of Tezpur University stage nine-hour hunger strike demanding VC’s removal

The TUUF maintained that the “responsibility for restoring academic and administrative normalcy lies with the MoE” and warned that protests will intensify if decisive action is not taken without further delay.They reiterated their demands for Singh’s removal, fair and unbiased high-level inquiry against him, and placing him on official administrative leave.The varsity, located on the north bank of the Brahmaputra in Sonitpur district, had been under complete shutdown since November 29 as a joint forum of all stakeholders has demanded the removal of the VC and an inquiry against him.The situation had been tense since mid-September, with students accusing the VC and varsity authorities of not showing due respect to cultural icon Zubeen Garg even as the state was mourning his death.Apart from fiscal irregularities, the agitators are also protesting alleged deforestation carried out under Singh’s administration.The senior-most faculty member, Dhruba Kumar Bhattacharyya, had assumed charge as acting vice-chancellor suo motu on December 5, citing the Tezpur University Act, 1993.At his request, the students had agreed to sit for the term-end examinations from December 11, though other activities in this central university remained under the shutdown.Singh has stayed away from the campus after the university witnessed heated scenes and an exchange of words between him and students on September 22, leading to a situation where Singh had to nearly flee the spot.He had convened a virtual meeting of the Board of Management (BOM) on December 4, and appointed Mass Communication Professor Joya Chakraborty as pro-VC, a role she declined.



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