New Delhi (Agency): West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose has appointed an interim Vice-Chancellor (VC) for yet another state-run university, adding fuel to an ongoing controversy surrounding his recent appointments of officiating VCs in universities that have remained without leadership for extended periods. This latest appointment names Professor Kajal De as the officiating VC of Kanyashree University, which was recently established. This move comes in the wake of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s scathing criticism of the governor for his perceived interference in the state’s education system and his disregard for state-appointed search committees when making such appointments.
Governor Bose had previously appointed officiating VCs for seven universities, including renowned institutions like Presidency University and Burdwan University. These decisions have led to a heated standoff between the state government and the governor, with the chief minister accusing him of making unilateral appointments and bypassing established search committees. Banerjee insists that VCs must be selected from the names proposed by the state-appointed five-member search committee, and she has threatened to withhold funding from universities that follow the governor’s directives.
In response to these developments, Banerjee has vowed to take “tit-for-tat” actions against the governor’s appointments and has threatened to block funding to universities that comply with his decisions. She emphasized that the governor should not forget that he holds a nominated position and stressed the importance of upholding federalism and the rights of state governments. Banerjee’s strong statements indicate a growing political rift and potential power struggle in West Bengal’s educational institutions.