Governor C.V. Ananda Bose, who is also chancellor of all state-aided universities, has told vice-chancellors that they have to email a “weekly activity report” to Raj Bhavan on the last working day of every week.
The VCs have also been told to seek the chancellor’s approval for any decision “which has financial implications”.
In a communication sent on April 4, the chancellor also asked the VCs to contact him over the phone or email “on any major issue”.
In December 2019, the state higher education department brought an amendment to the university act under which the VCs had been told to contact the chancellor on major issues through the higher education department.
The communication adds: “It is to state that Shri Debasis Ghosh, IAS, senior special secretary to the governor... will co-ordinate the University matters in the Raj Bhavan.”
When contacted about the chancellor’s communication, education minister Bratya Basu told The Telegraph in a text message: “I have no idea about this. Let me check tomorrow.”
A VC said the chancellor’s decision on seeking a weekly report is crucial because this shows he wants to have a say in the everyday affairs of universities.