The President of India, acting as the Visitor of Tripura University, has approved the appointment of Prof. Shyamlal Das from the Department of English as the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the university.

An official order issued by the Ministry of Education on Wednesday stated that Prof. Das, the senior-most professor of the institution, will serve in the role for one year or until a regular Vice-Chancellor is appointed, whichever comes earlier. The direction came after the completion of the five-year tenure of Prof. Ganga Prasad Prasain.

The order, signed by Rajesh Kumar, Under Secretary to the Government of India, has instructed the Registrar of Tripura University to ensure the immediate transfer of charge. The development ends weeks of speculation regarding the university’s leadership.

Meanwhile, controversy has emerged around Prof. Prasain’s final days in office. Reports suggest that the outgoing Vice-Chancellor approved several recruitment files close to the end of his tenure. According to the Ministry of Education, such actions contravene existing guidelines which bar outgoing Vice-Chancellors from taking recruitment-related decisions within two months of their term’s expiry.

The Ministry has also reminded that Acting Vice-Chancellors of Central Universities are not authorized to make policy decisions, including appointments and recruitments. These restrictions, originally outlined in an August 13, 2015, directive from the Vigilance Division of the then Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), have been reiterated in the latest communication.

Officials said the measures are intended to uphold transparency and prevent last-minute recruitments or policy changes during transitions in leadership.

With Prof. Das stepping into the role, attention will now turn to restoring smooth academic and administrative functioning at Tripura University until a permanent Vice-Chancellor is selected.