Tezpur University in Assam has been in turmoil since Zubeen Garg’s tragic death on September 19. Students had alleged that the Vice-Chancellor (VC) had prevented students from holding a condolence meeting in memory of the late artist. In response, the VC explained that it was a misunderstanding. Soon after, he announced a series of compensatory initiatives to honour the late singer, which included a statue on campus and a scholarship in Garg’s name.
However, things have not really settled down since then. The VC has reportedly been away from the campus, with students shutting down all services, including academic activities such as examinations. The Tezpur University Teachers Association (TUTA) and Tezpur University Non-Teaching Employees Association have extended their full support to the agitation. They are demanding the immediate suspension of the VC, who has been accused of financial irregularities.
What is happening at Tezpur University is not an isolated incident. It is part of a structural and systematic erosion of public universities across the world, including Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and the University of Delhi.
The history of Tezpur University makes its case unique. It was set up by an Act of Parliament in 1994 and is considered to be one of the outcomes of the Assam Accord, along with the establishment of Assam University and the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati. It offers quality and accessible higher education in a region that has been historically marginalised. The location of the university — it is situated in central Assam — makes it easily accessible. With a consistent high accreditation in the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) assessments and an upward ranking in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), Tezpur University is a preferred option for many. In recent years, the university has also significantly contributed towards research and innovation.
A similar crisis has also taken place earlier in the North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong. The controversy was around the VC, who was absent from the university’s headquarters for more than 193 days. The students and teachers of this university, along with the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), have demanded the removal of the VC.
Both incidents show that in this neoliberal era, the public university is at a crossroads. Private universities are on the rise, and the value of public education is increasingly questioned. Tezpur University and NEHU are two of the most reputed universities in the region. But there have been repeated controversies around the appointment of the VCs. Notably, most of the VCs in the centrally funded educational institutions in North-east India are from outside the region. In fact, there have been many local media reports about how the region’s voices are sidelined through these appointments.
Higher education is important for the youth’s access to better employment opportunities. The region also needs to tap into its historically unfulfilled potential for research and innovation. And public universities are the best place to provide these opportunities.
Private universities will always remain out of bounds for the general public because of their high fees. We have already seen a similar situation unfold at the level of school education. The region has got these central universities after long battles and historical instability. That’s why there is an urgent need to hold on to these spaces, especially at a time when we are talking about decolonisation and indigenisation of knowledge.
The writer teaches at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati
