Governor CV Ananda Bose has announced he will seek the Supreme Court’s clarification on whether the chancellor or the state government holds ultimate authority over West Bengal’s state universities. The move follows a tense standoff and VC absences at Raj Bhavan.
Kolkata: On July 26, In a fresh development in the ongoing conflict between the West Bengal government and the Raj Bhavan regarding control over state universities, Governor CV Ananda Bose has announced that he will be approaching the Supreme Court to seek a clear answer on who has the final authority over these institutions – the state government or the governor, who serves as the chancellor of the universities.
This announcement came after a meeting held on Saturday at the Raj Bhavan between the governor and several vice chancellors (VCs) of state-run universities in West Bengal.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss important issues related to higher education in the state, including digital reforms, staff shortages, implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, and creating awareness about cyber security and drug addiction.
However, only nine vice chancellors attended the meeting, while most others remained absent. Some of the VCs who did not attend said they were prevented from going by the state’s higher education department.
A few others claimed they were gheraoed (surrounded or obstructed) on their campuses and felt unsafe. Some VCs have now requested individual appointments with the governor to explain why they could not attend the meeting.
Sources from the Raj Bhavan have indicated that the governor is not taking the absence of the VCs lightly and may consider it a serious issue.
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Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Governor CV Ananda Bose said,
“This is an issue that requires clarification. What is the role of the chancellor or the role of the government? The Supreme Court will be approached to determine who holds the ultimate authority over state universities — the chancellor (governor) or the state government.”
This ongoing tension between the governor and the state government is not new. The clash over who should control appointments and administration in state universities has been a long-standing issue.
The governor’s plan to move the Supreme Court could now lead to a landmark decision on the constitutional roles and powers of both the chancellor and the elected government in managing higher education at the state level.
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