Tezpur University, once a beacon of excellence born from the historic Assam Accord now allegedly stands as a crumbling fortress of corruption, mismanagement and blatant disregard for its students and faculty. At the epicenter of this institutional apocalypse is Vice-Chancellor Shambhu Nath Singh, a man whose prolonged absence, financial scandals and cozy ties with the BJP-led central government have ignited a firestorm of protests that show no signs of abating. As the agitation nears its 100th day on December 29, 2025, the question looms large: How can a Vice-Chancellor facing serious corruption allegations easily meet Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, while protesting students are not even able to meet the Education Minister? Is the BJP government supporting a corrupt official instead of standing with the students and the future of the country? Northeast Scoop looks closely into this issue, speaking to a student leader who strongly criticises Singh and his actions.
The protests at Tezpur University erupted in mid-September 2025, initially sparked by Singh’s shockingly insensitive remarks dismissing the statewide mourning over the death of beloved Assamese icon Zubeen Garg. Videos from the time show students chanting for accountability, only for Singh to mock their grief with flippant comments like “Don’t make things funny.” But this was merely the tipping point. Beneath the surface festered years of administrative paralysis: faculty shortages, stalled recruitments, plummeting NIRF rankings, and allegations of rampant financial fraud that have gutted the university’s core.
Speaking to Northeast Scoop on condition of anonymity, a prominent student leader involved in the protests laid bare the devastation wrought by Singh. “As a student, I want to say that Tezpur University has been destroyed by him; Shambhu Nath Singh,”. “Now, he’s going to destroy other universities. To meet leaders like Rajnath Singh, we need appointments, but Shambhu Nath Singh gets easy access. We’ve been trying our best to get an appointment with the Education Minister, but still, no luck. Corrupted people like Shambhu Nath Singh get to meet Rajnath Singh effortlessly.” 
This feeling reflects the anger of thousands of students on campus. Verified reports say that Singh has been away from Tezpur University for 388 days as of early December 2025. This means he has left his job responsibilities while still taking a salary and other benefits paid by the public. In his place, an acting Vice-Chancellor has been appointed, but the student leader says he is “just a toy,” with no real power to make even simple decisions. This has left the university stuck with no proper leadership. “He cannot even approve our acting VC,” the leader said, pointing out that the whole setup is only for show and gives no real solution.
The corruption allegations against Singh are not mere whispers; they are a roaring indictment of systemic rot. Sources within the university and investigative reports point to massive financial irregularities totaling crores. Specifically, the library infrastructure scandal involves a staggering 12 crore rupees siphoned off through dubious procurements, including overpriced books and equipment that never materialized or were substandard. Then there’s the boys’ hostel fiasco: 25 crore rupees vanished into thin air amid shoddy construction and kickbacks. The girls’ hostel mirrors this, with another 25 crore allegedly embezzled, bringing the total for hostels alone to 50 crore rupees. “What kind of corrupted man is Shambhu Nath Singh?” the student leader questioned. “Acute corruption charges on him and yet he meets Rajnath Singh. This is very disgracing.”
Public records and media reports corroborate these claims. In December 2025, senior professor Rupam Katoki publicly stated that the “main corruption charges against him [Singh] regarding the book purchased by the Central Library at Tezpur University” were just the tip of the iceberg, with additional allegations of recruitment manipulations and administrative harassment. The university’s decline is quantifiable: Once ranked among India’s top central universities, Tezpur has slipped dramatically in national assessments, with students bearing the brunt through disrupted classes, delayed exams, and a toxic campus environment.
Yet, amid this chaos, Singh’s ability to rub shoulders with the highest echelons of power raises eyebrows. Historical records show Singh met Rajnath Singh in June 2023 to pitch a Department of Defence Studies at Tezpur, an initiative that conveniently aligned with the BJP’s national security agenda. Fast-forward to December 2023, and Rajnath Singh graced the university’s 21st convocation as chief guest, conferring degrees while Singh presided over the event. But in 2025, with protests raging and corruption probes looming, the question persists: What kind of corrupted man gets to meet a Union Minister like Rajnath Singh? The student leader didn’t mince words: “So basically, Shambhu Nath Singh is going to destroy other universities. In January, many VCs will retire. Shambhu Nath Singh will not have the courage to come to Tezpur.”
This prophecy ties into broader rumors swirling in academic circles. January 2026 is set to see several vice-chancellors across India retire, creating vacancies that could be filled by figures like Singh, whose alleged close ties to Modi cabinet members make him a prime candidate for elevation despite the scandals. “Modi cabinet has some people who have close ties with Shambhu Nath Singh,” the leader revealed. “Being close with Rajnath Singh, meeting him; it’s very obvious the BJP and the Modi government want to destroy the future of the students.” This accusation strikes at the heart of the BJP’s education policy, which critics argue prioritizes political loyalty over merit, allowing tainted administrators to thrive while students languish.
The protests have evolved into a multi-pronged resistance. On December 29, 2025 marking 100 days of unrelenting agitation teachers, non-teaching staff, and students plan a dual assault: a high-profile press meet at the Guwahati Press Club to amplify their demands globally, coupled with a hunger strike at the Tezpur campus. “On that day, we teachers, non-teaching and students will hold one press meet at Guwahati Press Club. Other members will do hunger strike in Tezpur University. On press meet, limited people will go, and others maximum will hunger strike,” the leader said. This escalation comes after months of fruitless appeals, including a recent delegation to the Assam Governor that proved utterly ineffective. “Administration people went to meet Governor; it was as if they went for tea. The Governor could not do anything; it seemed as if he called for a cup of tea,” the leader said.
Support is coming in from many parts of Assam and even from outside the state. Student groups from all political sides have been asked to protest in every district and university in Assam, and many of them have agreed to join. NEHU University in Meghalaya, which is also facing its own leadership problems, has said it will support Tezpur University’s protest from January. The student leader said that these kinds of problems are not only in Meghalaya and Assam, but also in many universities in North India, showing a wider failure in how universities are being run under the BJP government.
The Ministry of Education’s silence is deafening. Despite letters from prominent figures like Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene, no inquiry has materialized. Students have announced “civil disobedience,” shutting down all academic and administrative operations until concrete action is taken. Non-teaching employees joined the fray on December 24, 2025, staging a sit-in protest near the main gate, decrying the leadership vacuum that has paralyzed file approvals and daily operations.
This isn’t just a campus spat; it’s a litmus test for democracy in education. The BJP government, with its iron grip on central institutions, must answer: Are they in favor of the protesting students, who represent India’s aspiring youth, or the corrupted VC, shielded by political patronage? Shambhu Nath Singh’s saga exposes the ugly underbelly of cronyism, where access to ministers like Rajnath Singh trumps accountability.
