Senior Professor Dr. Dhruba Kumar Bhattacharyya formally took charge as the Acting Vice Chancellor of Tezpur University on Thursday night. His appointment comes at a time when the university has been facing long days of protests, confusion over administrative decisions, and strong reactions from both students and faculty members.
Dr. Bhattacharyya said after taking charge that his first priority will be the students, and he wants everyone to work together to bring back a healthy atmosphere on the campus. He said that all decisions will be shared in a proper and transparent way and added that the aim should be to make Tezpur University one of the most thoughtful and respected institutions in the country.
The situation on campus became tense earlier this week after reports spread about the alleged appointment of Prof. Dr. Joya Chakraborty as the Pro-Vice Chancellor. There has been no official notification about her appointment so far, but the news still triggered anger among students and faculty members, who said the move was taken without discussion and without proper consultation. Many called it arbitrary and questioned the way decisions were being made. 
The university later explained the legal basis for appointing Dr. Bhattacharyya. As per Statute 2(6) of the Tezpur University Act, 1993, if the Vice Chancellor is absent or unable to perform duties, the senior-most professor is required to take charge unless a Pro-Vice Chancellor is available. The university stated that because of the prolonged absence of the Vice Chancellor, the statute automatically came into effect, making it necessary for the senior professor to step in and ensure continuity.
The official notice also mentioned Section 40 of the same Act, which protects officers and employees when they act in good faith under the rules of the university. The administration said this protection is important at a time when the campus is facing unrest and uncertainty. The notice further said that the university needed immediate functioning leadership, and therefore the endorsement was sought to allow the senior-most professor to perform the duties of the Vice Chancellor.
Dr. Bhattacharyya, from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, is known in the academic community as a calm and respected figure. Many on campus believe that his taking charge may help bring some stability, especially after several days in which normal university activities have been shut down.
However, the protests have continued. On Thursday night, student groups held marches, burned tyres, and raised slogans demanding the withdrawal of the alleged Pro-Vice Chancellor appointment and the removal of Vice Chancellor Prof. Shambhu Nath Singh. Students say that their trust in the administration has weakened and that they want a transparent and consistent leadership system.
