After the Governor’s secretariat’s letter to the universities conveying instruction from the chancellor of universities to bear his advocates’ expenses in connection with the SLP being heard in the Supreme Court, there has been criticism from Educationists’ Forum and also from various quarters.
Image of Calcutta University. (Image: Facebook/@ UniversityCalcutta)
After the Governor’s secretariat’s letter to the universities conveying instruction from the chancellor of universities to bear his advocates’ expenses in connection with the SLP being heard in the Supreme Court, there has been criticism from Educationists’ Forum and also from various quarters. As per the Chancellor’s order, Calcutta University would be the coordinating university for all such transactions. This order dated 17 October has been operationalised through the authorised persons acting as VCs. The forum has objected to the office of the Governor being utilized for carrying out activities of the office of the chancellor.
They demanded: “We would like to know under which section/clause of which Act, Statute and/ or Ordinances of the state universities the chancellor is empowered to issue such a financial directive.” “How would the universities be funding the expenses of litigation involving the chancellor against the state government, when the universities are themselves funded by the state exchequer?” asked Prof Om Prakash Mishra, former VC of University of North Bengal.
They wondered if there is any power conferred on the chancellor for authorizing fees for the lawyers, to be collected through the universities? Prof Ashutosh Ghosh, former VC of Calcutta University said, “I have worked with three Governors but never encountered such a scenario.
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This is unprecedented. Higher education in Bengal is being seriously affected by such actions and this is not desirable. This is affecting students’ confidence and they are moving out of the state. All the stakeholders should sit together and sort it out.”
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