Summary
Principals of several affiliating colleges said they were clueless about implementing
the four-year undergraduate programme from the ensuing academic year because of the absence of a VC who is required to guide them about implementing the curriculum.
- A group of teachers of Calcutta University who were supposed to go abroad to attend an academic conference are not being able to proceed with their visit because the university does not have a vice-chancellor who would approve of it.
- The faculty council of engineering and technology has decided to enhance the four-year BTech seat count, but they are not being able to communicate the decision to the JEE board in the absence of a VC, who has to ratify it.
- Principals of several affiliating colleges said they were clueless about implementing the four-year undergraduate programme from the ensuing academic year because of the absence of a VC who is required to guide them about implementing the curriculum.
The absence of a vice-chancellor since April 19 in the state’s largest affiliating university has created a stalemate-like situation on the campus, the teachersof Calcutta University alleged at a news conference on Monday.
“Since October 2022, the university does not have a full-term VC. The university does not have an officiating VC since April 19, 2023. This has impacted the functioning of the university,” said Sanatan Chattopadhyay, general secretary of the teachers’ association.
Parthiba Basu, a former president of the association, said they sent several emails to governor C.V Ananda Bose, who is the chancellor, to discuss the stalemate.
The chancellor has yet to grant an appointment, the teachers alleged.
Calls and text messages and emails to the chancellor failed to elicit any response.
Mahalaya Chatterjee, the president of the teachers’ association, last week told The Telegraph the visit of five teachers, who are from the history department for a conference abroad, has become uncertain because the university does not have a VC.
“These teachers are supposed to go abroad to attend an academic conference. Normally, the VC gives permission and the NOC (no objection certificate) for the VISA. After the VC gives his consent, the registrar issues the letter,” Chatterjee told this newspaper.
The vice-chancellor’s nod is essential to ensure the teachers get “on-duty leave” during their academic tours abroad.
“The registrar has said he could give the necessary permission for the visit if the teachers forego their on-duty leave and go on earned leave. Only a VC has the authority to sanction on-duty leave. Why will the teachers sacrifice their earned leave?” Chatterjee said.
The heads of the university’s engineering departments have told the engineering faculty secretary to increase the number of seats in the four-year BTech programme by downsising the three-year course.
A CU official said the department heads in a recent meeting decided to push for raising the four-year programme seat count by 80per cent of the total number of seats (240), given the fact that the three-year programme is failing to attract bright students.
“But since the conversion of more seats to the four-year programme is a policy decision, this has to be approved by the VC before we send the updated seat matrix to the JEE board before the start of counselling in August,”. he said.
The number of classrooms, laboratories and teachers has to be increased and the workshop has to be shifted to the university’s tech campus in Salt Lake before the seats are increased.
“But since we don’t have a VC, discussions on all these vital issues have remained pending,” said Amit Roy, the secretary of science, engineering and technology faculty.
Syamalendu Chatterjee, secretary of the All Bengal Principals’ Council, said at a time when they were pursuing a plan to introduce the four-year undergraduate programme in place of the three-year programme in compliance with the National Education Policy 2020, they did not have any idea about who to approach in the absence of a VC.
Last updated on 16 May 2023
