Bengal governor C.V. Ananda Bose, who is the chancellor of the state-aided universities, has decided to move Calcutta High Court challenging Jadavpur University’s decision to hold the convocation on Sunday following the advice of the higher education department, sources in Raj Bhavan said.
The chancellor on Saturday removed JU’s officiating VC Buddhadeb Sau a day before the convocation after he decided to proceed with the convocation, disregarding Bose’s instructions that the convocation be kept in abeyance.
A source in Raj Bhavan said the chancellor received legal advice to move a writ against Jadavpur University for holding the convocation flouting the law of the land.
“VCs and educationists think that the degrees issued to the students by the unlawful and unauthorised convocation through the pro-vice-chancellor will not be valid in the eyes of law,” the source said.
“The government has no role in the functioning of universities. The government sanctioning the convocation overrides the chancellor’s authority,” he said.
After the VC was removed on Saturday, the department wrote to JU registrar Snehamanju Basu, so Sau continued as VC and held the convocation.
Calls and text messages to the education minister Bratya Basu and VC Buddhadeb Sau failed to elicit any response.
The chancellor has constituted an empowered committee to suggest an appropriate way out so that the interest of the students could be protected.
Some students Metro spoke to on Sunday wondered about the validity of their degree certificates following the controversy over the convocation.
Sources said the expert legal opinion received in the chancellor’s office says pro-VC is not competent to assume the role of the VC on his own.
“When there is no VC, the chancellor can authorise a person to exercise the functions of the VC. A Pro-VC in the absence of VC, can not assume the role of VC. The chancellor has to confer the powers on him,” the source said.
The university held its annual convocation on Sunday, but the officiating VC who attended the event, did not award the degree certificates.
Sau assigned the responsibility of awarding the degree certificates to pro-VC Amitabha Datta.
The decision about delegation of power was taken at a meeting of the university’s court to ensure that the graduating students did not have to take the degree certificates from someone who had been removed from the post of officiating VC as this could entail legal challenges.
“The chancellor is the competent authority to preside over the court. In the absence of the chancellor, VC can and if both are absent, members present can select a person to preside over the court. That was not the case at JU. This was no legally convened meeting of the court,” a source in Raj Bhavan said.
“There is no assigned role to pro-VC in the Jadavpur University Act in the matter of court or convocation.”.
The sources said a VC can delegate any of his powers to any other officer subordinate to him. “But it is to be noted that only a VC appointed as per the Act or a person specifically appointed as interim VC by the chancellor or authorised by the chancellor to officiate as such can delegate the powers,” said a source.