School Service Commission (SSC) chairman and principal of the Syamaprasad College in Kolkata, Dr Subiresh Bhattacharya, who will take charge as the new full-time vice-chancellor (V-C) of North Bengal University, on Sunday said he would focus on development of the university with cooperation from all quarters.

A decision was taken on Sunday to appoint Dr Bhattacharya as the new V-C after the four-year tenure of Prof Somnath Ghosh expired on 10 February. NBU officials said they received the official confirmation on the new appointment on Sunday. “I am happy to take charge as the V-C of the prestigious university. I will seek cooperation from everyone for development of the university. However, it is too early to say anything about my plans,” Dr Bhattacharya said from Kolkata, adding that he will be joining the university soon.

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A three-member search committee had been formed to appoint the V-C, and it comprised Basab Chaudhury, V-C of West Bengal State University, also known as Barasat University, V-C of Netaji Subhas Open University Subha Sankar Sarkar and Anil Bhuimali, the V-C of Raiganj University. The V-C is generally chosen from the proposed names sent by the committee.

As per rules, the members in the search committee are nominated by the state governor, who is the chancellor of the university. The committee had received around 90 applications for the V-C’s post, following advertisements placed by the varsity authority. A notification signed by the secretary to the chancellor, NBU, and additional chief secretary to the West Bengal government Dr RS Shukla was sent to the university from the Chancellor’s secretariat, department of higher education, science and biotechnology, in this regard.

NBU registrar (officiating) Dr Laxmikanta Padhi said the university received the notification on Sunday. “We received a notification issued by the chancellor’s secretariat, intimating us that Dr Subiresh Bhattacharya, the principal of Syamaprasad College, Kolkata, and chairman of the SSC, had been appointed as the new full-time V-C (for a term of four years) of the NBU,” Dr Padhi said.