Kolkata: The Supreme Court is likely to hear the VC appointment case on Monday. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has already made her recommendations to governor CV Ananda Bose based on the shortlist prepared by the committee headed by former Chief Justice of India, UU Lalit.
The state govt, after getting Raj Bhawan’s nod on six VC appointments, including that of Presidency University, has made the appointments. The appointments of the remaining 28 VCs are still awaited. The Supreme Court-appointed Lalit Committee rolled out a separate selection process for two universities, including the West Bengal Health Sciences University.
The VC appointments had been pending for over a year and a half until the apex court intervened and formed the Lalit committee to prepare a shortlist for the chief minister. The Supreme Court made it clear that the governor has to give his nod to the list recommended by the chief minister and all disputes have to be referred back to the apex court.
The state universities are now headed by interim vice-chancellors nominated by the governor, where the state had little or no say.
The state higher education department issued a notice late on Friday, announcing that the interim Vice Chancellor of Presidency University, Nirmalya Narayan Chakraborty, was appointed as the permanent VC. Rup Kumar Barman was appointed as the permanent VC of Bankura University, and Kallol Paul was appointed as the permanent VC of Kalyani University. Pabitra Kumar Chakraborti was appointed as the permanent VC of Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University. Amiya Kumar Panda was appointed as the permanent VC of Rani Rashmoni Green University, and Sankar Nath was appointed as the permanent VC of Burdwan University. It is learned that the notification was issued for the six VCs because there was convergence on it.