Senior Prof. Dhruba Kumar Bhattacharyya Takes Charge as Acting VC of Tezpur University

Tezpur: In a major development amid days of tension, senior professor Dr. Dhruba Kumar Bhattacharyya has formally taken charge as the Acting Vice Chancellor of Tezpur University on Thursday, December 4. His appointment comes at a time when the campus has been witnessing continuous protests from both students and faculty members.

The situation escalated earlier this week after widespread anger over the alleged appointment of Prof. Dr. Joya Chakraborty as Pro-Vice Chancellor, which is a move that students and faculty described as arbitrary and lacking proper consultation. Although no official notification has been issued, the rumour alone caused six consecutive days of shutdown on campus.

According to the university, Dr. Bhattacharyya’s appointment follows Statute 2(6) of the Tezpur University Act, 1993, which states that in the absence or inability of a Vice Chancellor to discharge duties, the senior-most professor must temporarily take charge. With the current Vice Chancellor reportedly away from campus for an extended period, the statute has been invoked to restore administrative functioning.

The official notice also cited Section 40 of the Act, which offers legal protection to officers acting in good faith to maintain institutional continuity. University authorities said the urgent decision was necessary given the “administrative vacuum” and growing unrest.

Dr. Bhattacharyya, who is a respected senior professor from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, has received significant support from the student community. Many students have expressed that they chose him with the hope of bringing stability, transparency, and better leadership to the university.

Protests, however, continued late into Thursday night. Students marched across the campus, burned tyres, and raised slogans demanding the withdrawal of the alleged appointment of the Pro-VC and the removal of Vice Chancellor Prof. Shambhu Nath Singh. Faculty members have also voiced concerns, alleging a breakdown of transparency in administrative decision-making and urging the Union Ministry of Education to intervene.

With Dr Bhattacharyya now assuming the leadership role in an acting capacity, many hope the university will finally move toward resolution and restore normalcy on campus.

Also Read: The Quiet Assam Village That Has Become a Sanctuary for Hundreds of Birds