Governor Dhankar in disagreement with VCs over functioning of Bengal varsities 

By PTI

KOLKATA: The basic secretary of the West Bengal Vice-Chancellors’ Council on Saturday stated no convocation was held on the campuses of the state universities within the final two years because of the pandemic, as Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar lamented that he was not being invited to the ceremonies although he was the chancellor.

Noting that the state of universities in West Bengal was worrisome, Dhankhar at a programme on Friday stated he was unable to “sleep at night” due to the state of affairs.

“What the governor has said does not reflect the real situation. How many convocations were held on campuses in the last two years? Please remember how the pandemic affected everything,” Subiresh Bhattacharya, the overall secretary of Upacharjya Parishad or VC Council, informed PTI.

Addressing the National Students’ Convocation of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India, Dhankhar additionally raised concern over “unionism of the VCs” in opposition to him, referring to the conferences that he had known as, which have been ducked by the vice-chancellors.

Bhattacharya, who’s the vice-chancellor of the University of North Bengal, stated, “There is a mechanism for calling such meetings.”

“If the mechanism is followed, the VCs will go as per the rules. The governor is our chancellor,” he stated.

The vice-chancellor of one other state college, who refused to be recognized, stated the governor was invited to the convocations of Jadavpur University and Calcutta University in December 2019 and January 2020, respectively, however confronted protests by college students.

“After that, the pandemic happened.”

The subject escalated to a political fist-fight between the opposition BJP and the ruling TMC.

“What the governor said is very true and it doesn’t bring glory to the state if the VCs of state universities treat him in such a manner at the behest of the Trinamool Congress government,” BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya stated.

Bhattacharya claimed he was informed by the VC of a personal college how he was cautioned after attending a gathering convened by the governor.

TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh stated the governor ought to introspect how he was performing in favour of the BJP.

“The governor is trying to become a super authority by summoning the VCs and issuing letters questioning different moves of the Higher Education Department,” Ghosh stated.

The Higher Education Department refused to touch upon the fiasco.