WB Univ Laws (Amendment) Bill passed in state Assembly

MP | 5 Aug 2023 | Kolkata: State Education minister Bratya Basu on Friday urged the BJP legislators to join hands with Trinamool Congress MLAs and raise their voices for ushering in changes in the search committee for appointing Vice-Chancellors for Central universities. 

Basu’s outburst came after BJP legislators raised objections, particularly about the Chief Minister’s nominee being part of the five-member search committee for appointment of Vice-Chancellors in state universities. 

“In the existing search committee for Central universities, there is one representative of the Visitor (the President of India) and two from the executive committee of the concerned university whose opinion can be rejected by the Visitor, if he/ she feels so. So, the appointment of V-Cs in Central universities rests totally with the Central government. Now, with the Supreme Court mandating UGC representatives in search committees, there will be another inclusion.
However, in the case of state universities, the search committee has one from the state government, a nominee of the Chief Minister, one from the state Higher Education Council, one from the University Grants Commission (UGC) and one from the Governor, who by virtue of the post, is also the Chancellor of all state universities. 

So, it is much more balanced and if you (BJP) raise inhibitions about the state’s search committee, then you should first be vocal about that of the Central varsities,” Basu said while tabling the West Bengal University Laws (Amendment) Bill 2023 at the state Assembly. 

The BJP demanded sending the Bill to the select committee but it was passed by voice vote. Basu hit out at the Governor over the appointment of former Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee as the interim V-C of Rabindra Bharati University and retired IPS M Wahab as the interim V-C of Aliah University. 

“The V-C of a university shall be a distinguished academician with a minimum of 10 years of experience as a professor in a university of reputed research or academic administrative organisation. 

Do retired Justice or retired IPS officers have such experience?” Basu questioned. BJP legislators, led by their deputy Chief Whip Manoj Tigga, went to the Raj Bhavan and urged Governor CV Ananda Bose not to give his approval to the Bill. 

“We had brought the Ordinance only after the Governor gave his nod in May and this Bill is a photocopy of the Ordinance. So, now if the Governor acts at the behest of the BJP, then our claims of him (Governor) following BJP’s instructions will prove to be true,” Basu argued. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/wb-univ-laws-amendment-bill-passed-in-state-assembly-528244