Bengal Guv to play V-C's role in headless state varsities

by IANS |

Kolkata, Sep 1 (IANS) The Governor’s House and the State Secretariat has another tussle brewing in West Bengal with Governor C.V. Ananda Bose deciding to play the role of interim vice-chancellor in universities without functional heads.

By virtue of his chair, the Governor is also the chancellor of state universities and had been appointing interim vice-chancellors in universities where the chairs of the functional heads were lying vacant.

However, that decision which was much to the dislike of the state government, created lots of complications and in a couple of cases some interim- vice chancellors appointed by the Governor either declined to accept the chair or resigned from the chair.

Political observers feel that by declaring himself as the interim vice-chancellors for such state universities till a permanent appointment is made will open up another front of tussle between the Governor’s House and the State Secretariat.

An announcement has also come on behalf of the Governor’s House with the message to the students of the universities so that they can directly interact with the Raj Bhavan on their grievances about the academic and administrative management in their respective universities.

Raj Bhavan sources said that recently it came to their notice that a youth graduating from a university where the chair of vice- chancellors was lying vacant for some time was unable to join a government service as his graduation certificate did not have the signature of the vice- chancellor.

However, the Governor, also as the chancellor of the university concerned, came to his rescue by signing his graduation certificate.

“But this cannot be a permanent solution and hence the Governor took the decision to pay the role of interim vice- chancellors for such universities till the time permanent vice- chancellors are appointed,” said a Raj Bhavan source.

State education minister Bratya Basu has claimed that this action of the Governor is beyond his constitutional liberty and the state government is seeking the intervention of the Supreme Court in the matter.