Kolkata: West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose has appointed interim vice chancellors (V-Cs) to 16 state-sponsored universities across the state, an unprecedented move happened late Sunday, barely three days after the Raj Bhawan had an online service for the students of those universities where there were no VCs, official sources said on Monday.
Bose, who is also the Chancellor of the State Universities by virtue of his gubernatorial post, has appointed the interim V-C for 16 varsities that were operating without the V-C, a communique from Raj Bhawan said, adding the students were having issues obtaining degree certificates and other necessary documents in the absence of the V-C.
The Raj Bhawan has also asked the officers to seek the consent of V-Cs before executing state government orders, if any.
On Sunday, the Governor initially appointed V-Cs to seven universities, including the prestigious Presidency University, MAKAUT and the University of Burdwan.
Professor Raj Kumar Kothari was appointed interim vice chancellor of West Bengal State University. Former Chief Justice Subhrakamal Mukherjee, who currently holds interim charge of Rabindra Bharati University, will also be interim V-C of Presidency University.
Prof Debabrata Basu was appointed interim V-C of Uttar Banga Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Prof Tapan Chanda was appointed interim V-C of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology and Prof Gautam Chakraborty was appointed for the University of Burdwan.
Professor Indrajit Lahiri has been asked to hold charge as interim V-C of Netaji Subhas Open University. Professor Shyam Sundar Dana was appointed the interim vice chancellor of the West Bengal University of Animal and Fishery Sciences.
Sources said the appointment letters for seven more universities had also been finalised, taking the total count to 14 universities.
Of the universities to which names were finalised, five were those where officiating V-Cs had resigned.
The Governor also asked prof Indrajit Lahiri, department of mathematics, University of Kalyani, to be the vice chancellor for Netaji Subhas Open University until further order.
‘He will be entitled to lien in the post of authorised vice-chancellor in his parent university (Kalyani), and also pay and allowances as applicable to the post held by him prior to the issuance of this order and allowances related to the post of vice-chancellor of the university as per rule,’ a notification was issued by the governor on Sunday.
Governor Bose’s latest unprecedented order happened barely three days after he said he would discharge the duties of interim vice chancellors of those varsities where the VCs have not been appointed so far, which evoked a sharp reaction from state education minister Bratya Basu, who also threatened to move the court of law against the governor’s move.
