Kolkata: Day after Governor C V Ananda Bose appointed interim vice-chancellors of 14 state universities, Education minister Bratya Basu, on Monday, accused the Raj Bhavan of acting in a “dictatorial manner” and “destroying” the university system in Bengal.
Addressing a press conference, Basu said that this move by the Governor was “violative of the Bill passed by the state Assembly, concerning the roles and functions of the Governor as the Chancellor of varsities and the state government”.
“The governor’s recent action is aimed at bankrupting the higher education system. He is destroying the statutes of respective state universities. Such appointments have been made without consulting anybody. He is acting in a dictatorial manner,” Basu said.
“He is ignoring the Chief Minister and bypassing the state education department. He is unilaterally appointing the V-Cs, sometimes he is removing that V-C and sometimes he is bringing in new V-C,” he added.
Basu further remarked: “He (Governor) is also threatening to remove professors appointed by the state government. The Governor (also Chancellor of state universities) as per law, cannot violate and cross the boundary. We will not remain silent spectators of such action.”
A group of educationists, including former V-Cs of state universities, described the action by the Governor to appoint interim V-Cs in several varsities as “adventurous and illegal”. The Educationists Forum also said such appointments “will not do any good to the higher education system of the state”. On Sunday late at night, Bose initially appointed V-Cs to seven universities, including Presidency University, MAKAUT and University of Burdwan. Justice Subhrakamal Mukherjee, who currently holds interim charge of Rabindra Bharati University, will also be Interim V-C of Presidency University.
At midnight, Raj Bhavan sources claimed that appointment letters for seven more universities had also been finalised, taking the total count to 14 universities. Of the universities to which names were finalised, five were such where officiating V-Cs had resigned due to threats issued to them.
On Monday, the state Higher Education department sent a letter to Raj Bhavan in response to the circular issued by the Raj Bhavan directing that the officers of the universities need to execute the orders of the V-Cs and obtain their consent while acting on the order of the state government.
In the letter sent by the state Higher Education department on Monday, they mentioned Rule 8 (5) of the West Bengal State Universities (Terms and Conditions of Service of the vice-chancellor and the Manner and Procedure of Official Communication) Rules 2019, and stated, “Accordingly, in the event of the Hon’ble Chancellor wants to make any communication to any State-aided University the same must be routed through the department of Higher Education. The circular under reference has not been routed through the Department.”
The department also stated that according to Rule 8(5) of the 2019 Rules action can be taken on any communication by the Chancellor only after the same is endorsed by the department. They have stated: “The circular under reference has not been endorsed by the department of higher education and as such, cannot be given effect to.”