Kolkata, March 8 -- The Educationists' Forum, West Bengal has urged Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to steer the higher education system as per the laid down legal provisions and declare that the "term" of the authorised Vice-Chancellors is over.
The Forum has further requested to give effect to the Bills passed by the West Bengal Legislative Assembly and the Ordinance promulgated by the government and make a determined and effective plea before the Supreme Court.
"We would like to declare that there are no vice-chancellors in any of the 31 public universities. Since the 6-month period is over even for the illegal category of "authorised" V-Cs, the state government must immediately act under the 2017 Act and the 2019 Rules and take immediate action" the Forum statement read. The statement comes in the backdrop of legal challenges to Chancellor C V Ananda Bose's authority remaining pending for decision and disposal in the apex court.
"The Chancellor has foisted chaos and illegal rein of his "authorized" persons masquerading as Vice-Chancellors for the past 9 months, a category unknown in the statutes," the letter from the Forum read. The Forum alleged that the "Authorised" V-Cs have abandoned all established norms related to appointments, finance and accounts and are proceeding to paralyse the higher education system in West Bengal. It has further stated that regular admission, teaching and research activities have either stopped or severely affected.
"Some of the universities are holding meetings of statutory bodies in disregard of laws and statutes. A massive financial scam of crores of rupees involving fixed deposits of Burdwan University in banks has been unearthed and no effective punitive and remedial action has been undertaken," the Forum's statement read.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.