Bengal education minister Partha Chatterjee said on Monday that a committee tasked with choosing a vice-chancellor for Malda’s Gourbanga University had been asked to select a new VC.

Swagata Sen had resigned as the VC on November 26 last year. The Gourbanga varsity has been without a permanent registrar for over 10 years.

“There was some complicacy over the resignation of the VC of Gourbanga University. The search committee has been asked to carry out the task and find out an incumbent for the post. We hope the varsity will get a new VC soon,” said Chatterjee, after a meeting with heads of different varsities and colleges of north Bengal at Uttarkanya here.

In Malda, Swagata Sen had assumed the office of VC on December 1, 2017, after his predecessor Gopal Mishra had quit even before completing his term.

Sen was appointed as the permanent VC in March, 2019, as his name was recommended by the search committee. However, as the varsity witnessed consistent agitation by students and a section of teachers during his tenure, it made chief minister Mamata Banerjee express her discontent over activities at the varsity. At an administrative meeting in Malda, she had sought clarifications from Sen and appeared miffed with his reply.

Soon after, Sen went to Calcutta and tendered his resignation.

As the state did not announce the name of Sen’s replacement, he continues to manage the administrative affairs from Calcutta. Questions have been raised from several quarters as Sen attended meetings of the executive council of the varsity.

Earlier on Monday, the education minister, along with his cabinet colleague Gautam Deb, visited some of the schools in Siliguri and met Madhyamik examinees.

“I am here to visit the schools and wish good luck to examinees. We interacted with the students and their guardians,” Chatterjee said.

Mentioned about the incidents of question paper leak, reported mostly from Malda, Chatterjee said stringent steps will be taken against the students concerned.