West Bengal government's fresh notification rejigging the search committees meant for appointment of Vice-Chancellors in state universities has left the academic circles in the state fuming.
The academicians are especially critical about omission for the provision for having a representative from the state university concerned in the panel.
Under the proposed system as per the ordinance, the five-member panel should have one representative nominated by the Chief Minister, one by the state Education Department, one by the state Higher Education Council, one by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and one by the Governor, who by virtue of the post, is also the Chancellor of all state universities.
According to the Calcutta University Teachers' Association (CUTA) general secretary Sanatan Chattopadhyay, this new system of panel with any representative from the state university concerned is bound to face legal hassles just like the previous system faced since it had no representative from the UGC.
"The UGC proposal speaks in support of the inclusion of a representative from the state university concerned in the search panel. Moreover, this decision for the omission for the provision for having a representative from the state university concerned in the panel is an attack on the autonomy of the universities," he added.
The Jadavpur University Teachers' Association (JUTA) general secretary Partha Pratim Roy feels that the formation of the new search committee has been constituted to maintain the numerical supremacy of the state government there so that making politically- motivated decisions easier.
"The proposals of UGC regarding formation of search committees have been totally ignored in this ordinance. We strongly condemn the decision," he said.
Economist Probir Kumar Mukhopadhyay said that the decision is quite whimsical considering that the state university concerned for which a Vice-Chancellor will be appointed will have no say in the appointment process.
"This is surely done with a political motive and is an attack on the autonomy of the state universities. In the previous system following in the Left Front rule, which was also followed by the current Trinamool Congress regime in the first three years of its tenure since 2011, the state government official had no role in vice chancellor appointment.
"Then the three- member search committees had one representative of the UGC, one from the state university concerned and one nominated by the Governor. I am not against the state government having its own representative in the search committee. But that should not be at the cost of a representative from the state university concerned," he said.
Santanu Basu, a professor with a college under the University of Calcutta said that UGC's proposal is also that one acclaimed and independent educationist should be included as a member of the search committee. "The new proposal remains silent on that matter," he said.
'My name is the guarantee of security in the country', PM Modi says in Karnataka
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that his name is the guarantee of security in the country, adding it was his primary duty to protect the citizens of the nation.
9 held for gang rape of minors in Meghalaya
Nine persons were arrested by the police in connection with the rape of minor girls in the South West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya, officials said on Sunday.
Indian Coast Guard apprehends Pakistani boat with huge consignment of narcotics
In a major success, the Indian Coast Guard, following an overnight aerial-maritime joint operation with the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), on Sunday apprehended a Pakistan boat in the Arabian Sea, west of Gujarat's Porbandar, and seized a large haul of narcotics.
Decision to build Ram Mandir in Ayodhya should have been taken on next day of Independence, PM Modi says in K'taka
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that the decision to build Ram Mandir in Ayodhya should have been taken the very next day after the country achieved Independence in 1947.
Rahul slams BJD-BJP in Odisha rally, says both in collusion to benefit few corporates
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, stepping up the party’s campaign in Odisha on Sunday lashed out at the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government and the opposition BJP while accusing them of having ‘married’ each other for personal gains and befooling the public.
PM Modi has already scored a century in first two phases of LS polls: Amit Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had already scored a century of seats in the first two phases of Lok Sabha polls.
Govt extends shutdown of schools in Tripura till May 1, heat wave alert extends
In view of the intense heat wave, the Tripura government has announced an extension of shutdown of all government aided schools and privately managed schools till May 1 next.
Despite having a woman CM, females in West Bengal most unsafe: JP Nadda
BJP national president J. P. Nadda on Sunday launched a blistering attack on the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal, saying that despite having a woman chief minister, females in the state are most unsafe.