West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose has decided to discharge the duties of interim vice-chancellors (VCs) of all the varsities where full-time VCs are yet to be appointed. The move has triggered a fresh row between the State government and Raj Bhavan.
“It is observed that students of a few State Universities in West Bengal, where the VC posts are vacant, are facing difficulties in obtaining degree certificates and other documents. To provide them relief, the Honourable Governor of West Bengal in his capacity as the Chancellor has decided to discharge the duties of the VCs in these universities till new interim VCs are appointed,” a Raj Bhavan official said.
According to Raj Bhavan, the Governor said students facing problems could mail their grievances to aamnesaamne.rajbhavankolkata@gmail.com or contact the peace room at 03322001642. “They can also meet the Governor at Raj Bhavan or during his tours in circuit houses after online registration under the ‘aamne saamne’ programme. The Governor will also pay frequent visits to the universities to meet the students,” the Raj Bhavan official said.
Reacting to the development, State Education Minister Bratya Basu said that a ‘dangerous situation’ had developed in the State as the Governor, without any consultation with the State government and bypassing the Chief Minister, had appointed officiating vice-chancellors not only from the State but also from outside.
The Minister said the State government would take recourse to legal options. “Since laws are for the people, we will take help of the laws,” Mr. Basu added.
In another development, the Governor appointed writer Raj Kumar Kothari as the officiating vice-chancellor of the West Bengal State University. None of the 31 State-run universities has a full-time vice-chancellor and in most universities the Governor has appointed academicians as officiating vice-chancellor to administer these institutions.
“15-in-1 role”
A group of academicians including former vice-chancellors on Friday issued a statement that the Governor, who was also Chancellor of State universities, “seems to assume the ‘15-in-1’ role without any legal sanction. His most recent illogical and illegal announcement is not only bizarre but ominous”.
“Serious academicians are rebuffing his overtures to assume a doubtful and irregular position on his behest and left with no alternative in terms of suitable names. Chancellor’s whimsical ball has rolled in such a way that the entire academic community of the country is both dismayed and laughing,” a statement signed by academicians Om Prakash Mishra and Deb Narayan Bandyopadhay said.
