Three state universities don’t have a vice-chancellor for close to a month and are facing administrative and financial deadlock because important decisions are being held up, said teachers and officials of the affected universities.
The universities are Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad University of Technology, Netaji Subhas Open University and Dakshin Dinajpur University. The teachers of Netaji Subhas Open University called a news conference on Monday to highlight the “administrative deadlock”.
Since the tenure of Ranjan Chakrabarti as the interim VC ended on March 14, the post has remained vacant.
Saikat Maitra, the vice-chancellor of Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad University of Technology relinquished the post on March 16 after his name featured among the 24 vice-chancellors whose appointments were set aside by Calcutta High Court on March 14 on grounds that the government had not followed UGC procedures, including obtaining the chancellor’s approval, while appointing them.
Sanchari Roy Mukherjee, the vice-chancellor of Dakshin Dinajpur University, also resigned in the wake of the court’s order.
The teachers of Netaji Subhas Open University said their problems were compounded because the university does not have a pro VC – a post that conventional universities like Calcutta University or Jadavpur have where the pro-VC enjoys the authority to carry out administrative functions in the absence of a VC.
Barnana Guha Thakurta, secretary of the Netaji Subhas Open University Teachers’ Association, said: “Complications are arising in the process of printing and distribution of study materials of the university. The functioning of the study centres is facing a deadlock. We need a vice-chancellor to take decisions on these issues.” “Our registrar, who is a superannuated officer, cannot decide on these issues.”
The university’s finance officer, who was on deputation, is going to retire on April 30 and the university has not heard anything from the state government on who would be the next finance officer despite repeated communications. Some of the teachers and officials even expressed concerns about whether they will get their salaries on time.
“We have written twice to the education secretary about the complications,” said Manan Kumar Mandal, the president of the teachers’ association.
“We will seek an audience with Governor C.V. Ananda Bose, who is the ex-officio chancellor of state universities, to discuss the crisis,” Mandal added.
A senior official of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University, which affiliates government-run engineering colleges and over a hundred private engineering colleges, said the approval of bills that are required for undertaking construction-related work has come to a standstill as this requires the approval of the VC.
“Bodies like the executive council, the highest decision-making body of the university, cannot meet because the VC is the chairperson of these bodies,” he said.