A meeting that lasted for about an hour and half at Raj Bhavan on Wednesday and ended with the Chancellor of Jadavpur University, Governor CV Ananda Bose’s verbal assurances of appointing a temporary vice chancellor and convening a meeting of the university’s Executive Council post haste seemed to be the takeaways for the 30-odd participants.

Participants at the meeting of the institution’s highest academic body mainly comprised heads of departments across all three faculties – Arts, Science and Engineering – of the university besides some senior officials. It was, arguably, also the first meeting of the university Court that was held outside the campus since the inception of the institution in 1955 and without a vice chancellor presiding over its affairs.

The meeting, hurriedly convened by Bose, the ex-officio chairman of the Court, was held in the wake of developments at Jadavpur University following the minor student’s death who allegedly fell victim to the persisting culture of ragging at the campus. However, it wasn't without its share of controversies.

While Professor Manojit Mondal, head of the department of English, was allegedly disallowed entry into the meeting despite being a member of JU Court by virtue of his post, Professor Om Prakash Mishra of the department of International Relations questioned the validity of the meeting on grounds that the “Chancellor had no provision of calling such a meeting as per university statute”.

Meanwhile, at the meeting, a section of teachers blamed the university’s administrative top brass, both past and present, for providing indulgence to the alleged “lawlessness” prevailing inside the campus, it was learnt. “Teachers raised their voice against the campus becoming a virtual free-zone of consumption of liquor and narcotic drugs right under the nose of vice chancellors who allowed the vices to prevail. Former students and outsiders were allowed entry inside hostels because the administration wanted to avoid face-offs with students,” a source at the meeting told The Telegraph Online.

“How else can we justify the students controlling hostel admissions and room allotments and the authorities becoming toothless in front of such gross violations?” the source questioned.

Sources also confirmed that it was alleged before the Governor that the university had given “false statements” before the UGC about implementing anti-ragging norms on campus. “It was brought to the attention of the Chancellor that the anti-ragging committee was bypassed and a separate internal investigation committee was constituted to probe the death of the student with a motive to conceal the failures of the university administration,” a teacher present at the meeting said.

“The issues cannot be addressed effectively unless the matter is placed before the executive council which is the top policy making body of the university. A meeting of the EC is the need of the hour which cannot be convened now because there is no vice chancellor at the university,” a teacher asserted.

The remarks were made in the presence of Professor Amitava Datta, the pro vice chancellor of the university who recently stepped down from the position of acting VC, it was further learnt.

The Governor also reportedly made a commitment to appoint a Chancellor’s nominee to the selection committee for teachers which has gone defunct after a section of teachers complained about a considerable number of teaching posts staying vacant.

Mondal, on the other hand, alleged he was led out by the Chancellor’s security personnel and made to wait at the chamber of a deputy secretary at Raj Bhavan. “I was denied entry to the meeting despite repeated requests and was made to sit on the sidelines. I wasn’t given any reason for this action, only told I did not have the Chancellor’s approval. I am a member of Jadavpur University Court as a head of the English department which I represent there. The Chancellor has not only insulted me, but my entire department,” Mondal, a known Trinamul Congress sympathizer and the state’s higher education council nominee to the university’s executive council, said.

Mishra, on his part, called the meeting bad in law. “Court meetings can be convened under the direction of the Vice Chancellor only, with minimum 15 days notice, as per the university statute and it may be presided over by the Chancellor, if available. There is no provision for an emergency Court meeting,” he alleged.