Bengal Governor nod for VC appointments: 18-month row coming to an end

State government proposes, governor disposes. This has been the pattern in university vice-chancellor appointments across non-BJP states. 

West Bengal, though, is seeing an end to such a stalemate that has lasted over 18 months.

All the 34 state-aided universities in West Bengal are expected to have full-term vice-chancellors by January 8, as the Governor has started clearing their appointments in earnest.

The development can go well beyond merely helping defrost the ties between Governor CV Ananda Bose and the TMC government led by Mamata Banerjee. It can present a template for the selection of vice chancellors across all states. 

University discord

The discord over this issue reached such an extent that many states, including West Bengal, sought to replace the governor with the chief minister as the chancellor of state-run universities.

Now that the Supreme Court has intervened and Governor Bose has softened his stance, Bengal might see an end to this long-standing feud.

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Barely a fortnight after extending an olive branch to the state government, Bose cleared the names of six vice-chancellors recommended by Mamata.

Governor softens stand

This was in line with his professed desire to improve the ties with the state government in the third year of his term. Bose conveyed this in a letter to the Chief Minister penned after completing two years in office on November 23.

Bose is likely to give consent to another five names shortly, official sources told The Federal.

The remaining 23 names are expected to be cleared by January 8, the sources added, claiming that the Governor’s stamp on them is just a matter of time now.

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Governor had no choice: TMC

Many in the TMC, however, refused to give much importance to the governor’s perceived “change of heart” for the development, insisting he had little choice after the apex court’s intervention.

Hearing a petition from the state government, the Supreme Court on July 8 constituted a search selection committee headed by former chief justice of India UU Lalit.

The chief minister made her recommendations based on the shortlist prepared by the committee. Her preference was made known to Raj Bhavan on November 21.

Supreme Court intervenes

The Supreme Court gave the verdict on hearing a petition filed by the state government challenging the Calcutta High Court decision to uphold the appointment of interim vice chancellors in 13 universities made by Bose.

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“After the court’s verdict, the governor could only further delay the process by taking his sweet time in giving consent to the names recommended by the chief minister,” said a member of the Educationists’ Forum, a platform of former vice-chancellors of state universities in West Bengal, wishing anonymity.

An example for other states?

The Raj Bhavan indicated that the governor as of now was not in favour of any more tussle over the issue as it could lead to further legal tangle and also undermine his initiative to improve the relations with the state government.

Whatever may be the reason, an end to this protracted dispute could be an example for other states where the Raj Bhavan has locked horns with the state government over appointment of vice chancellors, the member of the forum added.