Congress MLA seeks probe into alleged recruitment scam at Tripura University, writes to Union Education Minister

Tripura Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman has written to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, demanding a high-level inquiry into alleged irregularities in recruitment at Tripura University. 

The legislator has accused the officiating Vice Chancellor Prof. Ganga Prasad Prasain and Registrar Dr. Deepak Sharma of “massive corruption, nepotism, and administrative misconduct” over the past year.

In his letter, Roy Barman called for the immediate suspension of both officials and the constitution of an independent inquiry committee to investigate what he described as “grave anomalies” in the university’s recruitment processes.

“The once-revered Tripura University has fallen into a state of moral and institutional decay under the current administration,” the letter stated. He alleged that the VC and Registrar have abused their positions by orchestrating irregular faculty recruitments in violation of University Grants Commission (UGC) norms.

The Congress MLA pointed specifically to the scheduled faculty interviews for the Departments of Law, Sociology, and Sanskrit on June 8–9, 2025, which he claimed are being conducted illegally. “The executive powers of the officiating Vice Chancellor have already been curtailed, and the recruitment process for a new VC is underway. According to UGC regulations, an outgoing VC is not authorized to make regular appointments,” Roy Barman wrote.

He further alleged that over the past year, a series of appointments—including both teaching and non-teaching posts—have bypassed fair recruitment practices. “Underqualified and ineligible outsiders were hired, while eligible candidates from Tripura were sidelined,” he claimed, adding that only 4–5 local candidates were selected compared to over 30 from outside the state.

In a particularly serious allegation, Roy Barman accused the VC of appointing his own son as an engineer at the university, allegedly bypassing due process and sidelining local talent. He also claimed that some of the external appointments were influenced by recommendations from senior leaders of the BJP and RSS.

“The VC and Registrar have turned Tripura University into a hub of favoritism and backdoor entries. They must be restrained from continuing this illegal recruitment spree,” Roy Barman wrote, urging Minister Pradhan to take immediate action.

He also raised concerns over contracts and high-value purchases made by the university under the current administration, calling for these transactions to be included in the scope of the proposed inquiry.