SC to constitute search committee for permanent V-C appointment

Kolkata: The Supreme Court will constitute the search committee to appoint permanent Vice-Chancellors (V-C). The apex court on Friday directed the state government, University Grant Commission (UGC) and Chancellor to send three to five names by September 25. The case will be next heard on September 27.

According to a news media report, the Bench observed that both the state and the Governor need to take the initiative by putting aside their differences and focus on the improvement of the educational institutions in the state.

The state Education minister Bratya Basu said that complying with the direction of the court, they will give their nominees for the search committee.

“After receiving no response from the Chancellor and UGC to the requests of the state, SC, displeased with the Chancellor, expressed concern for the education system in Bengal, stating interim measures can’t continue. Court took it upon itself to form a search committee. State, Chancellor and UGC to give 3-5 nominees in a week,” Basu wrote on X.

While talking to a group of journalists, Basu said that the primary contention was the Chancellor appointing interim V-Cs without discussing it with the State. Recently, Governor C V Ananda Bose had appointed interim V-Cs to 16 state universities. Bose is also the Chancellor of state universities. Raj Bhavan had also issued a circular 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.

The main bone of contention which led to the present decision is a recent statement by the Chancellor where he is learnt to have alleged that the V-Cs initially appointed by the state government were either corrupt, accused of harassing female students, or were only interested in “political games”.

Meanwhile, Bratya Basu on Friday urged Governor C V Ananda Bose to sign a Bill for paving the way to form search committees for appointing vice-chancellors in universities where the terms of VCs had expired with no permanent ones occupying the posts at present.