Gangtok: The Sikkim University Students’ Association (SUSA) on Thursday demanded that Dr. Braja Bandhu Mishra be barred from taking charge at Sikkim University until he is fully cleared of financial irregularity allegations linked to his tenure as Finance Officer at Tezpur University.
Dr. Mishra resigned from Tezpur University on November 30 amid ongoing scrutiny and was subsequently appointed as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the Vice-Chancellor at Sikkim University.
On December 11, a SUSA delegation led by president Debya Karki confronted Vice-Chancellor Prof. S.K. Swain at the administrative block, questioning what they described as an “unnecessary urgency” to appoint someone facing active court proceedings to a sensitive administrative post. The Vice-Chancellor declined to comment, stating that the university would issue a press release later.
Speaking to reporters, Karki said that students were not opposed to the existence of the OSD post but specifically to Mishra’s appointment given the pending allegations. She asserted that Mishra “should not be inside the campus until his name is cleared,” adding that the students’ body would wait for an official explanation from the university.
Karki further noted that the OSD position has rarely been used at Sikkim University, previously activated only to cover the absence of a Finance Officer. The timing of Mishra’s move to Sikkim University immediately after protests against him at Tezpur University, she said, appeared “suspicious.”
SUSA also raised concerns about the appointment process, alleging that Mishra’s offer letter was issued before background verification and vigilance checks were completed. “Verification comes first. But here, the university has already issued the offer letter. That is not fair,” Karki said.
The students’ body has sought the minutes of the Executive Council meeting that recommended Mishra’s selection, claiming that several other qualified candidates — including sitting registrars of central universities — had also applied. “We want to know why this particular person was chosen,” Karki added.
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SUSA also highlighted long-pending administrative issues, including delayed recruitment for non-teaching posts advertised in December 2024, slow scholarship processing, manpower shortages affecting routine student services, and the uncertain status of contractual staff.
Reasserting their stand, Karki said, “Our final demand is that Dr. Mishra should not take charge at Sikkim University. We do not want people questioning whether SU is a place where anyone facing serious allegations can walk in. SUSA will not sit silently.”
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