Kolkata, 13th June 2022: The Bengal Assembly on Monday passed a bill to remove the Governor from the post of Chancellor of Universities and appoint the Chief Minister.
Education Minister Bratya Basu introduced the West Bengal University Law Amendment Bill 2022. A total of 182 votes were cast in favor and 40 in against.
Experts say that the government will have to pass a separate bill in the case of each university because these universities are autonomous institutions, so legally it is necessary to bring an amendment bill .
A group of eminent personalities from Bengal expressed their dissatisfaction over the appointment of the Chief Minister as the Chancellor of state-run universities.
They said that the state cabinet’s decision has also ignored the long-standing demand of the people to appoint an eminent educationist to the post of Chancellor.
In a statement, the group said, “We are shocked by the recent decision to appoint the Chief Minister as the Chancellor of the state universities. We are all aware of the imperative of autonomy and independence of educational institutions, and such a decision will prove to be a big blow to it, and it is also against the spirit of democracy.”
40 people, including Anik Dutta and Raja Sen, painter Samir Aich, actor Bibhas Chakraborty, social activist Miratun Nahar and human rights activist Sujaat Bhadra, have signed the statement expressing their dissatisfaction.
They said that if an educationist is appointed to the post of Chancellor, it will prevent outside interference in the running of the institutions.