SAR’s Academic Freedom Monitoring Project investigates and reports attacks on higher education with the aim of raising awareness, generating advocacy, and increasing protection for scholars, students, and academic communities. Starting July 1, 2026, SAR no longer publishes reports for the incidents that it records. SAR continues to monitor and record incidents that will be used in the annual Free to Think report. This page provides a record of incidents reported up to that date. Learn more about the Academic Freedom Monitoring Project.

Date of Incident: November 02, 2025

Attack Types: Killings, Violence, Disappearances

Institution(s):Tezpur University

Region & Country:Southern Asia | India

New or Ongoing:New Incident

On November 2, 2025, students at Tezpur University received anonymous threatening text messages related to their participation in ongoing protests.

Demonstrations against the university’s Vice Chancellor Shambhu Nath Singh began on September 20, 2025 in response to remarks that he had made about the late singer and cultural icon Zubeen Garg. The demonstrations soon evolved to focus on concerns about administrative misconduct, financial irregularities, and environmental damage.

After 42 days of protest, several students received anonymous threats of violence via their mobile phones. These messages contained personal information about the students and their families, as well as monetary offers to withdraw from the movement. The student community argued that these threats were a calculated attempt to disrupt the peaceful protests and instill fear among the student body.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about the intimidation and harassment, including threats of violence, of students for exercising academic freedom and freedom of expression – conduct which is protected by international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Political actors, journalists, and other members of the public must refrain from actions that chill or restrict such conduct, regardless of political or ideological differences. In addition to harm to the immediate victims, intimidation and harassment in response to peaceful expressive activity undermine academic freedom and democratic society generally.

Sources:
https://www.indiatodayne.in/assam/story/anonymous-threats-targeting-students-spark-outrage-at-tezpur-university-campus-bodies-demand-strict-action-1298500-2025-11-02 https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/education/news/tu-teachers-join-protest-against-vc-over-remarks-on-zubeen-and-alleged-irregularities/articleshow/124195894.cms https://www.ndtv.com/education/after-75-days-of-intense-protest-tezpur-university-gets-acting-vice-chancellor-9755064