‘Raj Bhavan pretending to be the new Nabanna’

Kolkata: The Educationists’ Forum of West Bengal, on Thursday, alleged that Governor C V Ananda Bose, who is also the

Chancellor of the state universities, is behaving like he is running the state secretariat from the Raj Bhavan

and even taking decisions to appoint interim vice-chancellors (V-Cs) without consulting the state government. The forum raised questions about how the Governor directed the state-aided university authorities to allow lien to the professors who were selected to act as interim vice-chancellors.

On Thursday, Jadavpur University professor and member of the forum, Om Prakash Mishra said that the Raj Bhavan is pretending to be the new Nabanna.

“Governor is holding the Bill passed in the Assembly for setting up a search-cum-selection committee for the appointment of the Vice-Chancellors. But the governor has not signed it yet.

We urge the state government to take proactive steps to

save higher education in the state,” said Mishra.

Former V-C of Bankura University, Deb Narayan Bandyopadhyay stated that recently a circular was issued from the Raj Bhavan directing university authorities to allow lien to those professors who were selected for appointment in other universities as interim vice-chancellors.

The circular dated August 22 was, however, intended for the Biswa Bangla Viswavidyalaya authorities.

It was pointed out that

the Chancellor has no power to allow a lien.

“For this purpose, the Executive Council conducts a meeting to check whether a professor can be granted leave,” said Bandyopadhyay.