Bose says state government cannot interfere with autonomy of state-aided unis
Governor C.V. Ananda Bose convened an emergency meeting of officiating vice-chancellors on Sunday, asserting that the state government cannot infringe upon the autonomy of state-aided universities. The statement comes in response to Jadavpur University’s annual convocation, held following a communication from the higher education department. The chancellor, who is ex officio chancellor of all state-aided universities, expressed concerns about the potential invalidation of degrees awarded to students and is seeking legal opinion on granting post facto approval to the convocation. Despite removing JU’s officiating VC Buddhadeb Sau, the chancellor assured that the convocation will not be canceled.
According to the statement issued by the governor’s office, the autonomy of universities should be upheld in compliance with UGC regulations and Supreme Court judgements. The statement accuses the education ministry of attempting to undermine university autonomy, citing the violation of Supreme Court judgements. To clarify his intentions, the chancellor emphasized that the removal of the VC was not intended to inconvenience students, as the convocation was maintained upon the request of the students. Seeking legal opinion on granting post facto approval for the convocation is an effort to preserve the validity of the degrees.
The statement also highlighted the absence of the invited UGC chairman as the guest-in-chief at the convocation. Meanwhile, the governor’s office announced that expenses related to the unauthorized convocation will be retrieved from the VC’s salary and those responsible. Responding to this, Sau stated that if his salary was to be deducted for the expenses, he accepted it.
Education Minister Bratya Basu dismissed allegations of interference with JU’s autonomy, asserting that seeking information on what could be done after the removal of JU’s officiating VC is not tantamount to infringement. Basu cited a Supreme Court decision stating that the chancellor lacks the authority to appoint or remove VCs and deemed the governor’s actions illegal.
The ongoing dispute between the governor and the education ministry raises concerns about the preservation of university autonomy and adherence to legal regulations. While the governor seeks legal guidance to safeguard the validity of degrees awarded at the convocation, the education ministry denies interfering with university autonomy. As the situation unfolds, the fate of Jadavpur University’s convocation and the overall autonomy of state-aided universities remain uncertain.
