19 of 20 Bengal Vice Chancellors abstain from governor's virtual meeting

Vice-chancellors of 19 of West Bengal's 20 state-run universities on Wednesday abstained from a virtual conference convened by Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar to discuss the problems faced by students due to the Covid-19 pandemic, sources said.

Only the VC of West Bengal University of Health Sciences, Rajendra Pandey, attended the meeting and discussed various academic issues with the governor who is also the chancellor of state-aided varsities, sources said.

Dhankhar had on July 7 sent letters to the VCs asking them to attend the e-meeting on July 15. He had also asked pro-vice chancellors of the universities to be present at the conference.

However, the West Bengal Vice-Chancellors' Council, a body of the VCs of state-aided universities, through a statement on Tuesday sought the governor's advice on whether the rules permit such interactions.

"Had the benefit of inputs from VC and Pro VC of West Bengal University of Health Sciences in Virtual Conference. Unfortunately, other VCs in disregard of student interests failed in their duty to attend. Would never compromise student welfare," the governor tweeted.

Dhankhar also said that he would hold a press conference on Thursday.

"We were not sure if the Hon'ble governor, who is also the chancellor, can write to us directly in this way without routing the letter through the higher education department," an office-bearer of the VCs Council said.

According to a new rule made by the state government last year, all communications of the chancellor with VCs should be routed through the higher education department, the Council member said.

In 2019, the state Assembly also passed a legislation that enables vice-chancellors to call meetings of their highest decision-making bodies in consultation with the higher education department and not the chancellor, as was the earlier practice.

On Dhankhar's tweet on Wednesday, Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said, "I don't want to comment on what the hon'ble governor said today. Earlier during my meeting with him, he had appreciated our stand to protect the interest of students in the present Covid-19 situation."

He had also subsequently placed the state's view in his tweet after the meeting at Raj Bhavan on Monday and said he will ensure the interest of students, Chatterjee told reporters.

Dhankhar had on Monday said that the state government informed him why conducting the final semester examinations by September as recommended by the Centre is not possible in the prevailing Covid-19 situation, and he would take up the matter with the Union HRD minister.

In a video message to students, he had said that Chatterjee and Higher Education Secretary Manish Jain Jain briefed him about the steps taken by the state government to deal with the issues of the students.