A serious controversy has broken out at Tezpur University after its teachers’ association raised major concerns about the way books and e-resources were purchased in the 2024–25 financial year. The Tezpur University Teachers’ Association (TUTA) has accused the university administration of spending money in a suspicious and irregular manner and has demanded the immediate removal of Vice-Chancellor Prof. Shambhu Nath Singh so that a fair investigation can take place.
According to TUTA, the university received around ₹6.5 crore under a University Grants Commission (UGC) scheme meant for capital assets. Out of this, about ₹4.5 crore was reportedly used to buy books and e-resources. The teachers’ body has alleged that most of these purchases were made from a few vendors based in Delhi, and that the process did not follow proper government financial rules. They claim this raises serious questions about transparency and the way public money was handled.
TUTA pointed out that several vendors involved in this procurement—such as Indica Books, Risabh Books, Aadi Books, Metro Books, and Indu Book Services—have earlier been associated with another book-purchase controversy at Bodoland University. In that case too, there were reports of inflated prices and doubts about the quality of the books. This has made teachers even more suspicious about whether proper checks were made before awarding the contracts at Tezpur University. 
A major part of the teachers’ complaint relates to electronic books. They say that around ₹1.04 crore was spent on e-resources that look highly questionable. Many titles reportedly had no valid publication details or ISBN numbers. In some cases, books sold at very high prices appeared to be available for free on the internet. For example, one book on migration studies, said to be purchased for about ₹22,000, seemed to match a free version hosted on a public website. Other books, including science and chemistry titles, were also allegedly available freely on academic websites. Some, they claimed, looked like old editions or poorly copied versions, with very basic content and missing academic features.
TUTA has also claimed that even for books purchased through well-known platforms, the pricing looked unusual. They pointed out that the cost appeared uniform across different subjects, which they believe could indicate inflated billing and misuse of university funds.
Teachers say this situation has caused a loss of trust among faculty and damaged the image of the institution. “Public money must be used responsibly. When there are doubts about such a large amount, there must be accountability,” TUTA said in its statement. The group has urged the UGC, the Ministry of Education, and other authorities to conduct a detailed forensic audit of the entire purchase process.
They also stressed that the Vice-Chancellor should be removed from his position while the inquiry is carried out, so that the investigation remains impartial. “When the university’s reputation and taxpayer money are involved, those in charge must take responsibility,” the teachers said.
