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Business News/ News / India/  West Bengal approves bill to remove Governor as ‘visitor’ to private varsities. Read here
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West Bengal approves bill to remove Governor as ‘visitor’ to private varsities. Read here

The state cabinet also approved the bill to appoint West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as the Chancellor of State-run Universities

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Governor Jagdeep DhankarPremium
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Governor Jagdeep Dhankar

KOLKATA : The West Bengal cabinet on Monday, 6 June approved the proposal to remove the governor as Visitor of private universities.

The Cabinet also approved the proposal to make Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee the chancellor of all state-run universities.

Now to be implemented, these Bills need to get consent from the Governor before becoming an act.

The development comes days after the state government had moved to remove Governor Jagdeep Dhankar as the ‘visitor’ of private universities and the Chancellor of state-run universities. 

The state government on 26 May decided to make Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee the chancellor of state-run varsities, replacing the governor.

"There is a proposal for altering the law so that the governor can be replaced by the education minister as the 'visitor' of private varsities. In Thursday's Cabinet meeting, there was a discussion on this and the proposal was supported by the members," an official had told news agency PTI on 28 May.

The move comes in the backdrop of Governor Jadgeep Dhankhar's clash with the state government over appointments of vice-chancellors across universities.

Dhankar had earlier alleged that the state government had appointed several Vice-Chancellors without Raj Bhavan's consent.

Dhankhar earlier alleged that vice-chancellors of 24 universities have been "appointed illegally without the chancellor's approval".

After the vice-chancellors of the private universities skipped a meeting called by him in Raj Bhavan in December last year, he had hit out at the ruling dispensation in the state.

Who is a ‘visitor’ to private universities in West Bengal?

As per the West Bengal government's policy and guidelines for setting up private universities, the governor has to be appointed the 'visitor' and he can preside over the convocations.

The 'visitor' also has the power to call for any paper or information relating to the affairs of the universities.

The official said that the government was open to take an ordinance route if the governor does not clear the proposed bill for making the chief minister the chancellor of state-run varsities.

The governor, by virtue of his position, is the chancellor of all state-run universities.

Policies in other states

Stated like Tamil Nadu and Kerala had considered a similar move. However, in West Bengal the change of powers and responsibility is being seen as a power struggle between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo and the Governor whose allegiance lies with the BJP. 

Last month Tamil Nadu had passed a bill empowering the state government to take over the Governor's power of appointing vice-chancellors to universities. The Tamil Nadu Universities Laws (Amendment) Act, 2022, and Chennai University Act, 1923 [Chennai University (Amendment) Act, 2022] were passed with the expression “chancellor" being replaced with “government" on 25 April. 

This rose out of a political struggle between governor and MK Stalin-led DMK government in Tamil Nadu. 

 

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Published: 06 Jun 2022, 02:24 PM IST
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