Shillong, September 25: A fresh dispute has arisen in West Bengal between the Raj Bhavan and the state secretariat, sparked by Governor C.V. Ananda Bose’s counsel to interim vice-chancellors of state universities before embarking on an 11-day overseas trip on Monday.
As per IANS, during a virtual meeting with the vice-chancellors on Sunday evening, the Governor urged them to exercise independence and disregard external influences.
Although the Governor did not explicitly mention the “others,” it was apparent that he referred to the state government, particularly the state education department, with which the Raj Bhavan has had ongoing disagreements concerning state university matters.
It is reported that during the meeting, the Governor, who also serves as the chancellor of state universities by virtue of his position, emphasized three crucial priorities for the vice-chancellors.
These priorities include establishing and operating anti-ragging cells in each university, maintaining transparency in the admission process, and ensuring timely examinations and result publications.
The Governor purportedly informed the vice-chancellors that he would personally oversee the functioning of anti-ragging cells in state universities going forward. He also pledged to take the lead in establishing academic partnerships between state universities and reputable foreign institutions.
Furthermore, he stressed the importance of promoting education in the native language whenever possible. The Trinamool Congress took a swipe at the Governor for his message to the interim vice-chancellors, attributing the turmoil in state universities solely to him.
A member of the Trinamool Congress in the Rajya Sabha remarked, “It is the Governor, and the Governor alone, who is responsible for creating an atmosphere of chaos in state universities.”
According to the state education minister, Bratya Basu, effective coordination between Raj Bhavan and the state education department is essential for the proper functioning of universities. However, he added that the Governor is making independent decisions without considering this coordination.
