By Our Special Correspondent
The West Bengal cabinet chaired by the CM on Thursday approved a proposal to introduce a Bill to make the Chief Minister the chancellor of all state-run universities. This move is first of its kind in India. State Education Minister Bratya Basu told the media that the Bill will be introduced in the next Assembly session.
Education Minister Bratya Basu, briefing the journalists after the cabinet meeting held at state secretariat, said the proposal would soon be introduced in the state assembly in the form of a bill. "Today, the state cabinet gave its consent to the proposal to make the chief minister the chancellor of all state-run universities in place of the governor. This proposal will soon be introduced as a bill in the assembly," Basu said.
The governor as per Indian constitution, is at present the ex-officio chancellor of 17 state-run universities in the state including Calcutta University, Jadavpur University, Kalyani University, Rabindra Bharati University, Vidyasagar University, University of Burdwan and North Bengal University, among others.
West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and Mamata have been at loggerheads over a range of issues. Last year a row erupted over the suggestions that the governor be replaced from the titular post of Chancellor of state run universities in West Bengal.
He had alleged that the state government was making appointments to the vice-chancellor post in various universities without consulting the chancellor, and he is being forced to take strong view of such developments.
Defending the decision, a senior state government official said: “This is not new. Kerala and Tamil Nadu have already taken the decision to make the CM chancellor (of state universities). We have decided this as per the Punchhi Commission’s recommendation.”
Later the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan clarified that the state government does not want to take over the position of the chancellor.
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