In a move that’s raising eyebrows and fueling outrage across academic circles in the Northeast, the Ministry of Education has appointed Prof. N. Lokendra Singh, the Vice-Chancellor of Manipur University who himself faces alleged serious allegations of corruption and administrative irregularities as the chairman of an inquiry committee probing similar charges against Tezpur University’s embattled VC, Prof. Shambhu Nath Singh. This decision, outlined in an Office Memorandum dated December 31, 2025, comes amid a 100-day student-led protest at Tezpur that has paralyzed the campus, demanding accountability for financial mismanagement, ecological damage and absentee leadership.
The irony isn’t lost on anyone familiar with the region’s higher education woes. Here we have two central universities, both plagued by accusations of graft and incompetence and the government seems to be playing musical chairs with their top brass. Speaking to Northeast Scoop, a protesting student leader from Tezpur University said, “How come the Ministry of Education appoints a chairman from Manipur University VC, who himself has alleged corruption allegations against him? This is something like if an inquiry committee is to be formed at Manipur University, Shambhu Nath Singh would be appointed as chairman of the inquiry committee. This is so ridiculous. What is the Ministry of Education trying to do?”
The student, who requested anonymity went on to blast the ministry’s flip-flopping. “Moreover, the Ministry of Education officials during their visit at Tezpur University had promised a presidential inquiry, but now that presidential inquiry is not formed. Instead, a person allegedly having corruption allegations has been appointed the chairman of the inquiry committee. What is going on?” He also raised alarms about a previous fact-finding committee’s report which has mysteriously not been made public. “What about the previous inquiry committee report formed by the government? Their report has not been made public, and we do not know the report from the inquiry committee yet and a new inquiry committee is formed.” 
Let’s go through this slowly and understand what is really happening at Tezpur University:
First, the Tezpur saga. Protests erupted in mid-September 2025, initially sparked by an incident involving cultural icon Zubeen Garg, but quickly snowballing into a full-blown uprising against VC Shambhu Nath Singh. Students, faculty, and staff accused him of financial irregularities, prolonged absences (he’s reportedly been off-campus for months), ecological destruction on university land, and a host of administrative blunders that have brought the institution to its knees. The agitation included hunger strikes, campus shutdowns, and demands for a CBI probe from opposition parties like the Assam Congress and NSUI. After over 100 days of unrelenting pressure, the Ministry of Education finally acted or so it seemed.
In the December 31 Office Memorandum from the Department of Higher Education, signed off from Shastri Bhawan in New Delhi, the Visitor (President of India) invoked Section 9 of the Tezpur University Act, 1993, to constitute a three-member inquiry committee. The panel’s composition: 1. Prof. N Lokendra Singh, Vice-Chancellor, Manipur University – Chairman; 2. Prof. Jagadish Kumar Patnaik, Vice-Chancellor, Nagaland University – Member; 3. Prof. Manish R. Joshi, Secretary, UGC – Member. The committee can co-opt experts as needed.
The memo directs VC Shambhu Nath Singh to “recuse himself from all duties and proceed on leave immediately, and shall remain on leave till the completion of the enquiry.” To keep things running, Prof. Amrendra Kumar Das from IIT Guwahati has been appointed as Pro Vice-Chancellor for interim operations.
The terms of reference are broad: Conduct a detailed inquiry into the findings of the earlier fact-finding committee report submitted by the Chancellor’s office; ascertain the circumstances leading to the crisis, including resignations and charge assumptions by university functionaries; visit the campus, meet stakeholders, and review documents; and tackle any other relevant matters. The panel has three months to submit its report, with UGC providing secretarial support. University authorities are ordered to cooperate fully.
On paper, this sounds like progress. But deep inside the questions arises as why appoint Lokendra Singh, of all people to lead this probe?
Back in Manipur, Lokendra Singh’s tenure at Manipur University has been anything but smooth. As early as February 2016, there were whispers of recruitment irregularities during his time in administrative roles, with groups like DESAM submitting memorandums accusing him of issuing offer letters in violation of procedures. Fast-forward to 2025, and the allegations have snowballed into a full crisis. https://www.imphaltimes.com/news/ksa-storms-raj-bhavan-demands-removal-of-mu-vc/
In September 2025, reports emerged of ethical concerns over recruitment and the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) at Manipur University. Critics pointed fingers at Lokendra for rushing hires as his term winds down in May 2026, allegedly to favor cronies. By October, the Kangleipak Students’ Association (KSA) was up in arms, flagging “recruitment irregularities” and accusing the VC of sidelining merit in favor of connected individuals.
Things escalated dramatically on November 3, 2025, when hundreds of KSA student volunteers stormed Raj Bhavan in Imphal, demanding Lokendra’s immediate ouster and a high-level inquiry into administrative and recruitment lapses. Placards flew, slogans echoed, and a tense scuffle with police ensued as protesters tried to breach the gates. KSA President S. Bidyananda told the media: “The Vice Chancellor and his subordinates have been violating University statutes and ordinances with impunity.” He specifically called out unilateral amendments to Statute 19 and manipulation of hiring processes for teaching and non-teaching staff.
Bidyananda didn’t stop there. He alleged that large-scale irregularities had eroded the academic integrity of Manipur University, once the state’s premier institution. The KSA claimed this wasn’t political but a fight for transparency. They demanded an independent probe by the Ministry of Education and the Governor, who serves as Chancellor, warning of intensified agitation if ignored.
And it’s not just students. Editorial pieces have lambasted Lokendra’s “coterie” for turning the university into a hotbed of academic anarchy, with NEP implementation in shambles. Then there’s the financial scandal: In October 2025, employees and a contractor were accused of embezzling Rs 74 lakh meant for university projects, raising questions about oversight under Lokendra’s watch.
So, here’s the story: We’ve got Shambhu Nath Singh at Tezpur, accused of alleged financial fraud turning the campus into a protest zone. And to investigate him, the government picks Lokendra Singh, who’s dodging his own barrage of corruption claims in Manipur. It’s like telling a person accused of lighting a fire to find out how the fire nearby started. It clearly shows the difference: both VCs hail from central universities in the Northeast, both face student-led revolts over graft and mismanagement, both have left their institutions in turmoil. Yet, instead of sidelining both and bringing in clean outsiders, the Ministry of Education is essentially swapping their roles in a farce of accountability.
This begs serious questions for the government. What due diligence was done before appointing Lokendra as chairman? Were his own allegations conveniently ignored? The Tezpur student leader’s analogy hits home: If Manipur needed an inquiry, would they tap Shambhu Nath? Of course not; that’d be absurd. So why the double standard here?
Moreover, the ministry’s broken promises add fuel to the fire. During their campus visit, a “presidential inquiry” was promised.. But that’s vanished, replaced by this committee that smells of compromise. And what of the prior fact-finding report?
