Stating that vice chancellors are the principal executive officers of respective universities, the Raj Bhavan here on Sunday said that all other officials of the institutions will not take orders directly from the government or execute those without the VC's consent.

The Raj Bhavan and the Trinamul Congress government in West Bengal are on a collision course over the appointment of interim vice-chancellors to several state universities by Governor C V Ananda Bose.

"According to the West Bengal State Universities Acts, the Vice Chancellor shall be the principal executive officer of the university and all the other authorities of the universities shall act in accordance with the directions of the respective VCs," a circular issued by the governor's secretariat said.

Stating that the VCs had raised certain issues seeking clarifications from the office of the chancellor (governor) during meetings on various occasions, the circular stated that clarifications were being issued for future guidance of the universities based on expert legal opinions.

"The officials of the university are to execute the orders issued by the VC and they are not mandated to take orders directly from the government or to execute those without the knowledge and consent of the VC," the circular said.

It clarified that the registrars and other officials have no independent authority to function circumventing the VC.

It said that the VC, being the principal executive and the academic head, all other officers are to assist him in discharging his functions ensuring compliance with the University Act, statutes, ordinances and regulations.

Over a recent transfer on deputation of the registrar of one university to another by the Higher Education Department of the West Bengal government, it stated that inter-university transfer/deputation of officers "cannot be a unilateral act by one party or an authority".

The circular, issued with the approval of the chancellor of the state-aided universities of West Bengal, said that the concept of deputation involves a tripartite consensual agreement on the basis of a decision taken by the employer, the borrowing institution and the consent of the employee who is to go on deputation.

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