Education minister Bratya Basu said on Thursday that the Supreme Court has “recognised the chief minister’s authority” in appointing full-term vice-chancellors in state-aided universities.

Basu, who cited an October 21 order of the Supreme Court, said the apex court refused to intervene on a petition moved by the governor questioning the authority of the chief minister in appointing VCs, which, he said, suggests the court has approved the chief minister’s authority in this respect.

“The court has recognised the chief minister’s authority in appointing full-term VCs by refusing to intervene on a petition moved by the governor. Since the state-aided universities are funded and supported by the state government, it is obvious that the state government headed by the chief minister will have a say in the selection
process,” the minister said.

During a hearing on October 21, the Supreme Court said its July 8 order had clarified that “the governor could approach the court in case of any difference of opinion on the selection process of the VC”.

The apex court declined to entertain the governor’s petition seeking a modification to the July 8 order and listed the case for hearing on December 9.

The court had in the July 8 order said the court-appointed search-cum-selection committee for the appointment of VCs would recommend a panel of names to the chief minister, who will forward it to the governor, the ex-officio chancellor of the state-aided universities.

The governor has to give his consent to a name on the panel. If there is any dispute, the Supreme Court will intervene.

But the chancellor in a petition sought a modification to the July 8 order.

The education minister said: “When the apex court on July 8 clearly laid the guidelines for the appointment of VCs and when the selection process is currently underway, the chancellor’s petition was nothing but a ploy to disrupt and delay the selection process. We are looking forward to having full-term VCs at the earliest.”

The matter of the selection of VCs reached the Supreme Court when the state government challenged the chancellor’s authority to select interim VCs without consulting the higher education department.

Over the past one-and-a-half years, all the state universities in Bengal have been run by interim or “authorised” VCs, who the governor appointed allegedly without consulting the government.

The July 8 order said the chief minister would go through a shortlist prepared by the “search-cum-selection committees” and the chancellor would select a name “in the same order of preference as recommended by the chief minister” for the appointment of VC.

An official in the higher education department said they had issued an advertisement on July 26, following the Supreme Court order, inviting applications for the post of VC at the 36 state-aided universities. And currently, the search-cum-selection committee is interviewing applicants.

When Metro sought the response of the chancellor, his office sent a post shared on the X handle of the Raj Bhavan media cell. The post reads: “Queries has been received by the staff of Raj Bhavan regarding SLP.....(The state of WB vs Dr Sanat Kumar Ghosh) regarding appointment of VC, the matter was listed on 21/10/2024. This is to inform that order has been passed and the case is listed on 09/12/2024 for hearing.”