Calcutta University has been functioning without a vice-chancellor since April 19, when the extended tenure of Ashis Chatterjee as interim VC came to an end.
The education department has yet to appoint anyone as Chatterjee’s successor. Any appointment must have the consent of Governor C.V. Ananda Bose, who is ex officio chancellor of all state universities.
The education department had on March 20 extended Chatterjee’s tenure for one more month.
A CU official said Chatterjee was not given another extension because an individual can function as interim VC for up to six months. Chatterjee had been in the post for six months.
The process for appointing a full-term VC will take time as the government has yet to promulgate an ordinance on the constitution of a five-member search committee. The committee will shortlist candidates for the post of VC.
Syamalendu Chatterjee, secretary of All Bengal Principals Council, said at a time when they are working on a plan to implement the four-year undergraduate programme, they are clueless about who to approach in the absence of a VC.
Education minister Bratya Basu declined comment on the issue when contacted by this newspaper.
An education department official said they were taking legal advice.
“The legal opinion is there is no hard-and-fast rule that someone can be an interim VC for only six months. If the chancellor wants, he can give Chatterjee another extension,” the official said.
CU sources said an official at Raj Bhavan had on April 16 called up a senior official of the university, seeking the names of five senior most professors.
“It could be that the chancellor is considering asking the senior most professor to perform the duties of VC,” said an official.
The Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad University of Technology has also been functioning without a VC.