Summary
CU registrar Debasis Das said, as several administrative decisions are pending, they have decided to go ahead with the meeting
Calcutta University, which was asked by the higher education department not to hold the meeting of its highest decision-making body — syndicate — because it does not have a regular (full-term) vice-chancellor, has again called a meeting of its syndicate on February 6.
The university last held its syndicate meeting on December 13.
For the December meeting, it had sought permission from the department in November. But on December 12, education minister Bratya Basu said his department had not granted CU the permission to hold its meeting.
This time, the university has not approached the department for any permission to hold the meeting next week.
“A syndicate meeting has been called on February 6,” said Santa Datta, the officiating VC of CU.
CU registrar Debasis Das said, as several administrative decisions are pending, they have decided to go ahead with the meeting.
“We have not sought any permission this time because the department did not grant permission to hold the meeting in December. Issues like the career-advancement scheme of teachers and officials, giving advertisements for the post of the non-teaching staff are pending. The syndicate has to meet to decide on these issues,” Das told Metro.
“The decisions adopted at the last syndicate meeting also would have to be ratified at the February 6 meeting”.
The syndicate meeting on December 13 approved examination-related regulations for the four-year undergraduate programme, without which the first semester exams could not be held in January.
The university since June has been helmed by the officiating VC, who was handpicked by governor C.V. Ananda Bose (the ex-officio chancellor of state-aided universities) allegedly without consulting the state government.
The government has challenged the chancellor’s authority in the apex court on appointing authorised (officiating) VCs in several universities.
A college principal said: “No one knows when the courts will give its final
verdict.... A university cannot be expected to keep on hold
the meeting of its decision-making bodies till the appointment of a full-term VC. So, CU has to hold the syndicate meeting.”
Last updated on 03 Feb 2024
