Guv swears to make state universities ‘free of corruption & violence’

Kolkata: Training his guns at the state government through a video message in Bengali, Governor C V Ananda Bose swore to the people of Bengal that as the Chancellor of the state universities he would fight to the end to make them free of violence and corruption.

Referring to the ensuing conflict between the state and Raj Bhavan over appointing interim vice-chancellors (V-Cs) to state universities, he accused the state education department of putting these institutions in crisis.

He said the state education department had initially appointed V-Cs but the Supreme Court said the state government was wrong since the appointments were illegal.

Hence, all the V-Cs had to resign. In this period of uncertainty, Bose said, as a Chancellor he had to appoint interim V-Cs to end the crisis.

He highlighted that once he appointed them, the state education department called it illegal but the Calcutta High Court said the Chancellor was not at fault.

He alleged that the V-Cs initially appointed by the state government were either corrupt, accused of harassing students, or were only interested in “political games”.

He remarked that it was “unfortunate” when five of the interim V-Cs had to recently resign but alleged that before they did so they told the Chancellor they were being given life threats, intimidated by the state education department, and even pressurised by IAS officers. “They resigned in fear,” he remarked. He also regretted how “campus cannibalism” claimed the life of a 17-year-old youth of Jadavpur University due to violent ragging.

Meanwhile, the Educationists’ Forum, West Bengal, has called for a peaceful and silent protest against the Chancellor, opposite the North Gate of Raj Bhavan on Friday. They wish to submit a memorandum to him.

Meanwhile, according to sources, some of the registrars who have been called for a meeting with state Education minister Bratya Basu on Friday have been asked to skip it by Raj Bhavan. Messages have been communicated to the interim vice-chancellors of some universities nominated by the Governor recently asking the former to tell their varsity’s respective registrars not to attend the meeting convened by the minister at Bikash Bhavan on Friday.