The Supreme Court deferred West Bengal VC appointments amid Raj Bhavan–State Government dispute, directing parties to submit objections before October 6 for final decision.
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KOLKATA: The Supreme Court on Friday deferred the matter concerning the appointment of Vice-Chancellors (VCs) in West Bengal universities, directing the parties to submit their reasons for reservations before the Court. The Bench, comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, emphasized the importance of clarity and resolution in the ongoing dispute between the State Government and the Governor’s office.
The Search cum Selection Committee had unanimously recommended candidates for 12 universities. Senior Advocate Dr. A.M. Singhvi, appearing for the West Bengal government, confirmed that nine appointments could proceed without objection, while differences persisted regarding the remaining candidates. Attorney General R. Venkataramani, representing the Chancellor (Governor), stated that while some appointments were acceptable, the Governor had serious objections to four candidates.
Justice Surya Kant observed that unanimity in recommendations should normally allow appointments to move forward, but noted that a piecemeal approach might not be ideal. The Court directed the parties to file detailed reasons for their objections, including submission of the latest report from the Committee. The matter will now be heard on October 6, 2025.
Background of the Dispute
This is not the first time the issue has reached the Apex Court. On September 22, the Court had noted that the Committee unanimously recommended 12 candidates and sought views from both the Governor and the State Government. Earlier, on September 1, Senior Advocate Jaideep Gupta had informed the Court that the report prepared by former Chief Justice U.U. Lalit was already with the Registry, prompting the Bench to prepone the hearing.
The Supreme Court has consistently urged both sides to work towards a resolution, former Chief Justice U.U. Lalit has also been involved in assisting with a framework to resolve the standoff.
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Previous Supreme Court Directions
- January 2025: The Court granted more time to Governor C.V. Ananda Bose to finalize the appointment process.
- December 9, 2024: The Court was informed that full-term VCs were appointed for six universities and five more would soon be cleared.
- November 2024: The Court refused to intervene, noting that Justice (Retd.) U.U. Lalit’s report had been submitted to the Chief Minister.
- July 2024: The Court invoked Article 142 of the Constitution, appointing former CJI U.U. Lalit as chairman of Search-cum-Selection Committees for all state universities to resolve the “chaos” arising from the rift between the Governor and the State.
High Court Intervention
Earlier, in March 2023, a Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court had quashed the appointment of Vice-Chancellors in 29 state-run universities. The State Government had been accused of appointing or reappointing VCs without adhering to University Grants Commission (UGC) norms.
Case Title:
State of West Bengal v. Dr. Sanat Kumar Ghosh