The Supreme Court has sought names of eminent Bengali personalities in order to set up a search committee for shortlisting and appointing Vice-Chancellors in 13 state-run universities of West Bengal. These personalities include scientists, technocrats, administrators, educationists and jurists.
The apex court took notice of the ongoing friction between the West Bengal State Government and the Office of the Governor on the issue and decided to set up a search committee to pick vice-chancellors on September 15.
The West Bengal state government and the University Grants Commission (UGC) were all asked by the Supreme Court to suggest three to five names independently for each university for its consideration, reports PTI.
A bench comprising justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta took up the matter on September 27 and noted, “The parties have agreed to submit a tabulated chart giving details of the Universities, the description of the subjects/disciplines which are being taught, the existing provisions for the appointment of members in the Search Committee and/or the new provisions which are proposed in the Bill awaiting the assent of the Governor.”
The bench further stated that the counsel representing the intervenors is also at liberty to suggest the names of renowned scientists, technocrats, administrators, educationists, jurists or any other eminent personality for the purpose of nomination to the Search Committee, as they deemed fit.
Both parties were asked by the bench to submit all the details and the names by Wednesday and listed the state government's plea for hearing on October 6.
The Supreme Court was hearing the West Bengal government's appeal against the Calcutta High Court's June 28 order, which said there was no illegality in the Governor's orders appointing interim Vice-Chancellors in 11 state-run universities in his capacity as Ex-Officio Chancellor of these institutions.
The Government of Mamata Banerjee and West Bengal’s Governor CV Ananda Bose are at odds about how the state's universities should be governed.
The bench had taken into consideration the fact that the West Bengal State Government's Bill on the appointment of VCs was pending approval of the Governor. The bench reiterated that the Supreme Court itself would form a search committee to choose vice-chancellors.
“The court has directed the office of the governor, the state government and the University Grants Commission to give three to five names for consideration of the bench for the search committee by September 25,” said advocate Subhasish Bhowmick, who represented the Office of the Governor.
Earlier, the West Bengal High Court maintained that the Chancellor has the power to appoint Vice-Chancellors, as established in relevant enactments.
Sanat Kumar Ghosh, a petitioner who moved the High Court along with the West Bengal government, claimed that the Governor did not consult the Higher Education Department before appointing Vice-Chancellors to state-run universities – thereby, rendering the orders illegal.
Contrary to the proposal put forth by the Higher Education Minister, the Chancellor made a series of appointments of Vice-Chancellors without consulting him, the petitioner alleged.
The West Bengal High Court said that when the final decision rested with the Governor, the appointing authority of the Vice-Chancellors, the manner, mode or method of consultation also should be left to him, and that the consultee, who is the Higher Education Department in this case, cannot dictate what mode or methodology was to be adopted.
The universities where interim Vice-Chancellors were appointed on June 1 by the West Bengal Governor include the University of Calcutta, the University of Kalyani and Jadavpur University.
