388 Days in 2 Years: Tezpur University VC's Elaborate Travel History

Tezpur University finds itself in the eye of an escalating storm — and at the centre of it stands Vice Chancellor Prof. Shambhu Nath Singh, whose prolonged absences and controversial handling of university affairs have triggered one of the most intense student uprisings in the institution’s history.

Official documents accessed exclusively by Pratidin Time reveal that Prof. Singh undertook 51 official visits between April 2023 and September 2025, spending a staggering 388 days away from campus. The records show that most of these trips were to Delhi, with a few to Jaipur and Guwahati.

During his 2 years and 5 months in office, the Vice Chancellor averaged nearly 16 days of travel per month. His longest recorded trip stretched 22 days (from February 4 to 25, 2025), while the shortest was a one-day visit in July 2024.

Students allege that Prof. Singh’s extended absence from campus has led to administrative paralysis and a widening communication gap between the university leadership and its student community.

The discontent reached a boiling point on October 8, when hundreds of students launched a fresh round of protests after learning that the Vice Chancellor had been absent from campus for the third consecutive week. Demonstrators have demanded his immediate resignation, accusing him of neglecting both academic and administrative responsibilities.

Amid the turmoil, the university administration witnessed another shake-up. Acting Registrar Pritam Dev was officially relieved of his duties on October 16, after submitting a request to Acting Vice Chancellor Prof. Raja Rafiqul Haque, who accepted his resignation.

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