Mamata to meet Vice-Chancellors, college principals at Nabanna

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday will hold a meeting with the Vice-Chancellors and college principals at the state Secretariat — Nabanna.

A senior official of Nabanna said Banerjee wants to discuss about the decision of increasing the retirement age of teachers and professors in colleges and universities and deliver a clear message regarding admissions in colleges being strictly online from this academic year without any physical verification during

the process.

Banerjee said at the convocation of Calcutta University on Monday that the government has decided to increase the retirement age of teachers and professors in colleges and universities of the state to 65 and that of Vice-Chancellors to 70.

"I believe that teachers and professors attain the level of maturity through their experience and it is after 60 when they are able to deliver best for their respective institutions. Hence, we have decided to raise the age bar for retirement," Banerjee had said. The state government is forming an expert committee to work out the modalities regarding the increase of the retirement age cap.

It may be further mentioned that there were incidents where money was demanded against secured admissions in a few colleges in the city and districts last year.

Banerjee had to personally interfere to bring the situation under control and admissions were made online henceforth.

"Chief Minister will communicate to the Vice-Chancellors and principals that there would be no physical verification and admission will be strictly online from this academic session," a senior official of state Education department said.

State Education minister Partha Chatterjee had previously held a meeting with the Vice-Chancellors and briefed them about the decision on admission and maintained that document verification and fees for admission will be through online portals.

It may be mentioned that emphasis on higher education has been one of the priorities of the Mamata Banerjee government after it came to power in 2011.

Apart from developing infrastructure in the form of setting up new universities and colleges, Banerjee in 2017 had raised the retirement age of college and varsity teachers to 62.

Government-approved-part-time teachers, Contractual Whole Time teachers and casual non-teaching staff have been brought under Swasthya Sathi Scheme.

Leave travel concession (LTC) has been granted to university and college teachers and they have been brought under West Bengal Health Scheme.