Summary
An official in the higher education department said the permission was denied because CU does not have a full-term vice-chancellor
Education minister Bratya Basu on Monday said his department had not granted Calcutta University (CU) permission to hold its syndicate meeting on December 12.
CU had written to the higher education department on December 8, seeking permission to call a meeting of the syndicate because examination-related regulations for the four-year undergraduate programme would have to be approved by the university’s highest decision-making
body.
An official in the higher education department said the permission was denied because CU does not have a full-term vice-chancellor. The university has since June been helmed by an officiating VC, who was handpicked by governor C.V. Ananda Bose allegedly without consulting the state government.
The university had on Sunday issued a notice announcing that the syndicate meeting would be held on Tuesday.
An official in the higher education department said in a letter sent to CU registrar Debasis Das on Monday evening that the university does
not have a “regular vice-chancellor”.
“Smt Santa Dutta (De) has been authorised to perform the duties of vice-chancellor.... Under such circumstances, since there is no regular vice-chancellor, the aforesaid meeting (of the syndicate) will be in violation of Rule 3(5) of West Bengal State University (Terms and Conditions of the Service of the Vice-Chancellor and the Manner and Procedure of Official Communication) rules 2019 (copy enclosed), if done without the approval of the State Government. No such approval has been issued from this end,” the letter says.
Education minister Bratya Basu said at Bikash Bhavan during the day: “The honourable Supreme Court has said the universities cannot call any meeting or convocation.... We are bringing to the attention of the Supreme Court that some state-aided universities are holding meetings under the influence of the chancellor, in contravention of the court’s directive. We have sent a notice to the universities.”
When told that CU’s officiating VC has said that exam-related regulations had to be approved on time by the syndicate for the first-year undergraduate students, the minister said: “The person you are talking about is not a vice-chancellor, according to a Supreme Court order. Then why is she so anxious about who are going to write the examinations or nots?”
Calls and text messages from this newspaper to VC Datta and registrar Das failed to elicit any response.
The state government has moved the Supreme Court challenging the chancellor’s decision to appoint officiating VCs unilaterally.
The apex court had said in an order on October 6 that the officiating VCs would receive pay and perks not of a VC but those commensurate with their previous posts as professors.
A CU official said they have been trying to hold a meeting of the syndicate since October 16. “Six letters had been sent to the higher education department seeking permission for a meeting of the syndicate. The latest communication was sent on Friday,” he said.
“The first semester exams under the four-year UG programme are scheduled for January. But the tests cannot be held next months if the exam-related rules are not approved by the syndicate,” the official said.
Last updated on 12 Dec 2023
