In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court of India has mandated the appointment of regular vice-chancellors (VCs) across all 36 state-aided universities in West Bengal, marking a crucial decision amidst ongoing disputes between Governor C V Ananda Bose and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The court’s decision aims to stabilize the governance of these institutions, which has been affected by political disagreements concerning the appointment of VCs.
On July 8, to address the ongoing conflict between West Bengal’s top constitutional figures, the Supreme Court established a search-cum-selection committee chaired by former Chief Justice of India, U U Lalit. This committee is tasked with overseeing the appointments and ensuring that only regular appointees take up the vice-chancellor roles, as confirmed in an order issued on July 29.
The bench, comprising Justices Surya Kant and K V Viswanathan, explicitly stated, “To be more specific, it is clarified that there shall be an appointment of regular vice-chancellors in all the 36 state-aided universities.” This directive comes as a clear move to prevent any interim arrangements that could disrupt the administrative flow within these educational bodies.
Furthermore, the court has adjusted the retirement age for VCs at specific universities. For Aliah University, West Bengal University of Health Sciences, and West Bengal University of Animal and Fishery Sciences, the retirement age is set at 65 years. For VCs of other state universities, the age limit is extended to 70 years.
The Justice Lalit-led panel has been granted extensive authority to short-list candidates for these critical roles. It can also bring on board any external experts at the chairperson’s discretion, thereby broadening the scope of potential candidates for these positions.
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Previously, the Supreme Court had authorized the panel’s chairperson to form separate or joint search-cum-selection committees tailored to the specific needs of the universities, depending on the subjects and disciplines offered.
