Rabindranath Tagore University, Hojai

A state university in Hojai, Assam, India, established in 2017 by upgrading Hojai College under a dedicated Act of the Assam legislature.

Researched by Muhammad Abdullah Al Yasin · 6 September 2026

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Established: 2017
Location: Hojai, Assam
Country: India
Type: State university
Statute: Rabindranath Thakur Vishwavidyalaya Act, 2017 (Assam Act No. XXXIV of 2017)
Predecessor institution: Hojai College (established 11 July 1964)stated by the subject
Vice-Chancellor: Prof Manabendra Dutta Choudhury
Chancellor: Governor of Assam (ex officio)stated by the subject
Website: rtuassam.ac.in

Overview

Rabindranath Tagore University, formally the Rabindranath Thakur Vishwavidyalaya, is a state university in Hojai, Assam, India. It was created by upgrading Hojai College — a general degree college founded on 11 July 1964 — under the Rabindranath Thakur Vishwavidyalaya Act, 2017 (Assam Act No. XXXIV of 2017), which received the Assam Governor’s assent on 16 October 2017 (university’s own account). The University Grants Commission’s own list of state universities confirms this status, recording a notification date of 25 October 2017 and inclusion in the UGC list on 19 August 2019 (UGC) — a state, not private, university, despite its name resembling that of several private “Rabindranath Tagore University” institutions elsewhere in India. Prof Manabendra Dutta Choudhury serves as Vice-Chancellor.

Campus development

The Sentinel (Assam) reported that the university’s first-phase campus, built at Sagarbasti near Hojai town, was formally handed over on 10 July 2025. The project carried a sanctioned cost of Rs 58.91 crore against a tendered amount of Rs 56.40 crore, and comprised a double-storeyed academic building (8,366 sq m), an administrative building (2,848 sq m), electrical infrastructure, water supply and fire-safety systems, and site works including roads, landscaping and a boundary wall. The contractor was named as Messrs MP Khaitan, and the campus was received by Dr Shekhar Kanti Sarkar, then Acting Registrar, in the presence of Vice-Chancellor Prof Manabendra Dutta Choudhury.

Academic partnerships

On 26 December 2025, the Vice-Chancellors of Rabindranath Tagore University and Dibrugarh University signed a memorandum of understanding intended to “promote joint research initiatives, faculty exchange programmes, and innovative academic activities for the benefit of students and teachers,” The Sentinel (Assam) reported. The signing was attended by Dibrugarh University Registrar Dr Paramananda Sonowal and Rabindranath Tagore University’s OSD Dr Pranjal Morang, among others.

Cultural programming

The university has hosted an annual North East Folk Festival under its Viksit Bharat@2047 Cell. The first edition, held 28-29 January 2025, drew twelve teams from communities across the northeast, including a delegation from Rajiv Gandhi University in Arunachal Pradesh, and was addressed by Vice-Chancellor Prof Manabendra Dutta Choudhury, who said the university intended to “expand the festival to a larger scale in the coming years, inviting participants from across India” (The Sentinel (Assam)). A second edition followed in 2026, inaugurated by tabla player Paban Bordoloi and including an ethnic food festival with participation from five affiliated colleges — Lanka Mahavidyalaya, Udali College, Lumding College, Alhaz Sunai Bibi Choudhury College and Hojai Girls College (The Sentinel (Assam)).

Administrative matters

Careers360 reported, citing The Assam Tribune, that the university suspended Deputy Registrar Shekhar Kanti Sarkar with immediate effect after he failed to satisfactorily respond to a notice concerning an allegation that he had submitted fraudulent academic credentials. Vice-Chancellor Manabendra Dutta Choudhury was quoted saying “the suspension was ordered after careful scrutiny of available records and in compliance with institutional norms, and further action will be taken based on due process.” Sarkar is the same official who, as Acting Registrar, had received the university’s first-phase campus on the university’s behalf in July 2025.

What this profile does not claim

No claim is made about the university’s current enrolment, faculty strength, NAAC or NIRF accreditation status, or any ranking. No outcome of the disciplinary proceeding against the Deputy Registrar is stated, since none had been reported as of the most recent source found. The Assam Tribune’s original report on that suspension could not be independently retrieved and is not cited directly; the claim rests on Careers360’s report of it.

Timeline

2017: Rabindranath Thakur Vishwavidyalaya Act, 2017 (Assam Act No. XXXIV of 2017) receives the Assam Governor's assent on 16 October 2017, creating the university by upgrading Hojai College.
2019-08-19: University Grants Commission includes the institution in its list of universities as a state university, with notification dated 25 October 2017.
2025-01-28: University hosts the first North East Folk Festival under its Viksit Bharat@2047 Cell, with twelve teams from northeastern communities, including a delegation from Rajiv Gandhi University, Arunachal Pradesh.
2025-07-10: Formal handover of the university's first-phase campus at Sagarbasti, near Hojai town — a tendered Rs 56.40 crore project against a sanctioned cost of Rs 58.91 crore, comprising an academic building and an administrative building.
2025-12-26: Vice-Chancellors of the university and Dibrugarh University sign an MoU for joint research initiatives and faculty-exchange programmes.
2026-02-01: Careers360 reports the university's suspension of Deputy Registrar Shekhar Kanti Sarkar over an allegation of fraudulent academic credentials, citing prior reporting by The Assam Tribune.
2026-01-28: University hosts the second North East Folk Festival, inaugurated by tabla player Paban Bordoloi, with an ethnic food festival involving five affiliated colleges.

What we could not verify

These claims came up in research and could not be confirmed. They are recorded here rather than published as fact or quietly dropped. If you hold a source that settles one, please tell us.

The Assam Tribune's own report on the Deputy Registrar's suspension could not be retrieved directly (only a social-media post and a secondary report citing it were found); the claim is sourced here to Careers360's report, which names The Assam Tribune as its source and carries a direct quote from the Vice-Chancellor.
Exact dates for the second North East Folk Festival (beyond "2026") were not stated in the source located.
No enrolment, faculty count, NAAC/NIRF accreditation status, or ranking was found in any source checked.

Sources

7 sources (1 tier 1, 4 tier 2, 1 tier 3, 1 first-party), each opened and read against the claim it supports. Statements the subject makes about itself are marked as such and are not treated as independent evidence. See the source policy.

List of state universities (Assam) included under Section 2(f) of the UGC Act — University Grants Commission · Tier 1 Supports: Confirming the university's status as a state university (not a private university), its notification date of 25 October 2017, and its inclusion in the UGC list on 19 August 2019.
Rabindranath Tagore University, Dibrugarh University sign MoU to strengthen collaboration — The Sentinel (Assam), 27 December 2025 · Tier 2 Supports: The 26 December 2025 MoU with Dibrugarh University, its stated purpose, and the named signatories and officials present.
Formal handover of first phase campus of Rabindranath Tagore University in Hojai — The Sentinel (Assam), 11 July 2025 · Tier 2 Supports: The 10 July 2025 campus handover, the sanctioned and tendered project costs, the buildings and facilities included, the contractor, and the officials involved.
Rabindranath Tagore University Hosts North East Folk Festival Celebrating Northeast's Cultural Heritage in Hojai — The Sentinel (Assam), 1 February 2025 · Tier 2 Supports: The first North East Folk Festival (28-29 January 2025), the participating teams, and named organisers.
Northeast Folk Festival Held at Rabindranath Tagore University, Hojai — The Sentinel (Assam), 4 February 2026 · Tier 2 Supports: The second edition of the North East Folk Festival, its inauguration, coordinators, and participating affiliated colleges.
Rabindranath Tagore University suspends deputy registrar over fake degree allegation — Careers360, 2 March 2026 · Tier 3 Supports: The suspension of Deputy Registrar Shekhar Kanti Sarkar over an alleged fraudulent academic credential, and the Vice-Chancellor's quoted statement.
About the university — Rabindranath Tagore University, Hojai (Rabindranath Thakur Vishwavidyalaya) · First-party Supports: The founding Act and its date of assent, the upgrading of Hojai College (founded 1964), and the identity of the Vice-Chancellor and Chancellor.

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