West Bengal: HC Upholds Governor's Appointment Of Interim Vice-Chancellors in State-Run Universities

In a significant ruling, the Calcutta High Court has affirmed the legality of the orders issued by West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose, appointing interim vice-chancellors in 11 state-run universities. The court emphasized that the Governor, in his capacity as ex-officio Chancellor, possesses the authority to make such appointments.

Furthermore, the High Court declared that the state government's appointment of vice-chancellors without consulting the Governor was unlawful. The court highlighted that the higher education department failed to seek the Governor's input on these appointments.

Expressing optimism, Shanta Dutta, the Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University, welcomed the court's decision and expressed hope that it would favor the appointments made by the Governor.

It is worth mentioning that a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed on June 6 at the Calcutta High Court challenging the Governor's decision to appoint interim vice-chancellors for 11 state-run universities.

Meanwhile, Governor CV Ananda Bose held a meeting with 10 vice-chancellors in Siliguri, North Bengal, on Wednesday. During the meeting, the Governor emphasized that the primary focus of the vice-chancellors should be the welfare of the students.

However, during the Governor's visit to the University of North Bengal (UNB) campus in Siliguri, the student wing of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) protested by displaying black flags and chanting "Go Back" slogans.