The West Bengal State University, Barasat, has invited governor Jagdeep Dhankhar to preside over its convocation on February 25.
Dhankhar was allegedly not invited to chair the convocation at Cooch Behar Panchanan Barma University earlier this month. He issued a showcause notice to vice-chancellor Debkumar Mukhopadhyay asking him to explain why he should not be removed from office for his alleged failure to follow rules in convening the convocation.
The governor is the chancellor of all state universities.
The Barasat university’s decision to invite Dhankhar to preside over its convocation comes days after a meeting between him and chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
The chief minister and education minister Partha Chatterjee had called on Dhankhar at Raj Bhavan on February 17 and February 20, respectively.
Dhankhar tweeted on Sunday: “Would be presiding over as chancellor at the convocation of the West Bengal State University on February 25. The university since its inception in 2008 had its first convocation in 2017. Would avail the opportunity to discuss with VC and faculty how the university may ever be on the rise.”
Mamata Banerjee
The state higher education department had in December introduced rules curbing the chancellor’s powers to select candidates for honorary degrees at the convocation and convene meetings of university senate or syndicate.
The same month, the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology chose not to invite the governor to preside over its convocation.
The governor had failed to attend the convocations at Calcutta University and Jadavpur University because of students’ protests.
What if he faces a similar situation at the Barasat university?
“The university authorities have been asked to ensure that the governor does not face any blockade on the campus, as he did at JU and CU. At the same time, we also expect the chancellor not to say anything in his speech that could antagonise the students or the employees,” an official in the state higher education department said.
Repeated calls to the VC of the Barasat university, Basab Chaudhuri, went unanswered.
A Raj Bhavan official said Dhankhar had received an invitation to preside over the convocation from VC Chaudhari as well as from the state government. The chancellor will attend the programme.