Dr Utpal Sharma’s resignation has been formally accepted by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Island Institute of Higher Learning, with Vice-Chancellor Alok Rai saying on Friday that the resignation was received on March 23 and processed in accordance with institutional procedure.
Responding to a query from The Wave Andaman, Rai’s clarification brings official closure to the controversy surrounding Sharma’s position at the institute.
The Wave Andaman had reported on March 25 that Sharma’s appointment as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) had been cancelled following a complaint made by the Member of Parliament on February 19, 2026. That decision, according to sources, was confirmed by the Secretary in the Ministry of Education and later reiterated by the Vice-Chancellor during discussions with the MP.
Sharma, a retired principal under the Andaman and Nicobar Administration, had been appointed as OSD through an order issued on November 28, 2025 by then Vice-Chancellor Sunil Kumar Khare. The appointment order cited Clause 23, Sub-Clause C(2) of the University Grants Commission Regulations, 2023, and stated that he would serve for one year to assist in establishment-related work at the institute.
The appointment later came under scrutiny over whether the Vice-Chancellor’s emergency powers under the UGC Regulations could be used to create or fill a post not provided for in the institution’s sanctioned framework.
According to the present administration, the post of Officer on Special Duty was not a recognised or sanctioned position under the university’s approved structure, and the appointment therefore could not continue.
Campus unrest grows
The development comes amid a wider and politically sensitive debate over the proposed shift of colleges in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands from affiliation with Pondicherry University to the local deemed university framework.
The proposed transition has triggered student protests across the islands, with many demanding that the government establish a Central University instead of moving ahead with the deemed university model. Students have voiced concerns over the future value of their degrees, the possibility of rising fees, and fears of the commercialisation of higher education.
The issue has also acquired a political dimension, with protests, sit-ins and candle marches being held in different parts of the islands in recent weeks. Student groups and local representatives have argued that any restructuring of higher education in the islands should ensure stronger statutory backing and wider academic credibility.
Sharma is, however, widely known in the islands’ academic circles and has long been associated with the development of education in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. He is particularly recognised for his role in shaping the polytechnic framework at Dr B.R. Ambedkar Institute of Technology.
