A week after West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar had said that the education system in the state is a victim of ‘shocking unionism’, he alleged on Thursday that the appointments of vice-chancellors in 24 universities in the state have been made without his approval or in defiance of orders.
Dhankhar is the ex-officio Chancellor of all the state-run universities.
“VCs of 24 universities appointed @MamataOfficial in disregard of law. These are ex facie in defiance of specific orders or without approval by Chancellor-the Appointing Authority,” the Governor tweeted.
The universities include Calcutta University, Presidency University and Jadavpur University.
“These appointments carry no legal sanction and would be forced to take action unless soon recalled,” he added.
The warning comes close on the heels of chancellors and vice-chancellors of private universities not attending a meeting called by the Governor at the Raj Bhawan last week.
“Education scenario @MamataOfficial worrisome as no Chancellor & VC of Private Universities turned up for meeting with Governor-Visitor. Shocking unionism,” the Governor had tweeted then.
Dhankhar on December 20 had invited chancellors and vice-chancellors of 11 private universities to discuss the avenues of improving the education system in the state. However, they refused to attend the meeting and sent a letter to the office of the Governor, expressing their inability to attend the meeting given the current Omicron situation.
The Governor again convened the same meeting on December 23, and assured the vice-chancellors and chancellors that the meeting will be conducted after maintaining all the Covid protocols, but none attended the meeting.
“It is really unfortunate that the chancellors and vice-chancellors who were 11 in number didn’t turn up in a meeting with a visitor who is also the governor of the state. The same happened in 2020 when the vice-chancellors of state universities didn’t turn up for the meeting,” he had tweeted.
“These developments are alarming and it shows the rule of the ruler and not of law. The state government is making appointments of vice-chancellors ignoring the chancellor. I am now being forced to take a strong view of the developments and direct a revisit into all the appointments,” Dhankhar had said.