West Bengal vice-chancellors told to submit weekly activity report to Governor

KOLKATA: Vice-Chancellors of all state-run universities in West Bengal have been asked to submit a weekly activity report to Governor CV Ananda Bose and to keep the Chancellor in the loop about any major issue henceforth. The Governor is also the Chancellor of all state-run universities.

Vice-Chancellor of two universities told PTI on Friday that they have received a letter in this regard from the Governor's Secretariat. The letter, sent by a joint secretary level officer of Governor's Secretariat on April 4, said "weekly activity report shall be submitted on the last working day of the week by email and any decision which has financial implications may be submitted for prior approval of the hon'ble chancellor."

"Vice-Chancellors can contact the Hon'ble Chancellor over telephone or mail on any major issue through the ADC (Major Nikhil Kumar)," the letter said giving the mobile number and email ID for contacting Kumar. The letter further said Senior Special Secretary to the Governor Debasis Ghosh will coordinate the university matters in the Raj Bhavan.

The VC of a state-run university not wishing to be named told PTI that her office has already received the letter and to her knowledge different state varsities all across the state received the same. "... This is an official communique from the Hon'ble Chancellor's office, asking for weekly updates about the functioning of the educational institute. We will act accordingly. I don't foresee any situation," she said.

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Another VC of a premier university also confirmed having received the letter but did not wish to comment. The development comes in the backdrop of West Bengal government reversing it's earlier decision to make Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as the chancellor of state universities during the tenure of Jagdeep Dhankhar, when the state had objected to his alleged meddling into the autonomy of state varsities by his various "unilateral" actions including convening meetings with VCs and going against government recommended names as new VCs.

West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu recently said Bose will continue to be the Chancellor of state universities, not the CM, and the state foresaw no problem to work with him on university matters. Basu could not be contacted for his reaction on the latest missive from Raj Bhavan. The Governor in early March had held a meeting with Vice-Chancellors of all state universities and Education minister for better synergy and coordination in running the academic-administrative affairs.