Kolkata, December 15 (). President Draupadi Murmu did not assent to the West Bengal University Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2022, which proposed to make Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee the chancellor of all state universities.
Due to the bill not being approved by the President, there will be no change in the post of Chancellor in state-run universities in West Bengal.
As per the current system, the Governor of Bengal is C.V. Anand Bose is the Chancellor of all the state universities.
Lok Bhavan (the residence of the Governor) has also confirmed that Governor Anand Bose will continue to serve as Chancellor of the state universities as before.
In 2024, Governor Anand Bose sent the bill passed in the West Bengal Assembly to President Murmu for consideration.
The West Bengal Cabinet had approved the proposal to appoint Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as Chancellor of the state universities in 2022.
The Trinamool Congress-led state government had claimed that if Chief Minister Banerjee is made the Chancellor, academic and administrative activities in these universities will accelerate.
Former Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, during whose tenure the bill was passed, had alleged that the Trinamool Congress-led state government was appointing vice-chancellors in various universities without consulting him.
Meanwhile, some sections of the political and academic community believe that the decision has further escalated the long-standing tension between the West Bengal government and Lok Bhavan.
According to the Indian Constitution, the Governor, by virtue of his position, acts as the Chancellor of the Universities.
Any change in this system requires extra caution from a constitutional perspective.
The lack of presidential approval clearly shows that legal and constitutional questions still remain regarding the proposed amendments.
The West Bengal government had earlier said that these amendments were brought to end the long-standing obstruction in the appointment of Vice Chancellors in universities.
On the other hand, opposition parties were opposing this bill from the beginning.
The main opposition party in West Bengal, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has claimed that this will reduce the autonomy of universities and increase political interference in the education system across the state.
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AMT/DKP
