Bengal universities face drought of full time VCs

It seems the ad-hocism has become a routine affair in educational institutions in West Bengal as few universities in the state have full time vice-chancellors.

Meanwhile, the educationists have questioned the appointment of vice-chancellors on ad-hoc basis in state universities.

According to reports, most of the state universities are running with acting VCs, who are not authorised to take several important decisions. Last time a VC was appointed was when Jadavpur University professor Achintya Biswas was made acting VC of Gour Bangla University, Malda.

According to one Srirampur College professor, “An acting VC is not authorized to take several important decisions and so, most of the universities are facing several internal problems. This is affecting student’s education and career too. As a whole, the education system is suffering.”

According to state education department’s record, the serving acting VCs include Prof. Suranjan Das (Calcutta University), Abhijit Chakraborty (Jadavpur University), Sorashi Mohan Dan (Burdwan University), Samir Das (Uttar Banga University), Chinmoy Guha (Rabindra Bharati University), Ranjan Chakraborty (Vidyasagar University), Shamita Manna (Sidhu Kanhu Birsa University), Shubha Shankar Sarkar (Netaji Subhas Open University) and Malabika Sarkar (Presidency University).

An education department official stated that this step (not appointing VCs) was required to sanitise the universities of Left leaning academicians. “Earlier the VCs were selected on the basis of their ideological inclinations. To appoint new VCs, we have appointed search committees, consisting of educationalists. VCs will be appointed on the basis of their recommendations.”

The vice chancellors of two more Universities -West Bengal State University and West Bengal University of Technology-are on the verge of completing their tenure and will retire soon. But the search committees for these universities are not yet formed. It means, again the ad-hoc arrangements will be followed for these varsities.

The search committees of other universities too are not yet formed, but the education department has passed the buck on the universities for not forming the committees.

“The universities have not recommended names of their representative for the search committee leading to the delay,” said an official.

Experts have said that the party (Trinamool Congress), which used to blame the erstwhile Left Front government of placing the VCs on political basis, is doing the same thing.

College and University Teachers Association (CUTA) blames incumbent education minister of reverse politicising the issue.

“The present government is selecting acting VCs on the basis of their political background. The latest case is of Achintya Biswas, whose name feature at the top of the TMC-backed organization’s committee. Quality of the professors has been compromised,” said a CUTA office bearer.

“No search committee has yet come out with any recommendations, then who is appointing the VCs? Isn’t it the state government? Are they free from politics? Some of them are even appearing on TV to defend the government’s political decisions,” questions former higher education minister, Sudarshan Roy Chowdhury.

However, current education minister Bratya Basu has rejected the charge of political nepotism in selecting the VCs.