New Delhi: In a significant breakthrough for the stalled higher education administration in West Bengal, the Supreme Court on Thursday recorded a consensus between the State Government and the Governor regarding the appointment of Vice-Chancellors (VCs) for 8 state-run universities.
The Bench, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, directed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to forward the agreed-upon names to Governor C.V. Ananda Bose (the Chancellor) for immediate notification. This development marks a major thaw in the prolonged standoff between the state executive and the Raj Bhavan.
The Court was informed by Senior Advocate Jaideep Gupta (for the State) and Attorney General R. Venkataramani (for the Governor) that both parties had agreed on candidates for the following institutions:
- Sanskrit College & University
- Cooch Behar Panchanan Barma University
- Harichand Guruchand University
- Raiganj University
- Diamond Harbour Women's University
- Baba Saheb Ambedkar Education University
- Uttar Banga Krishi Vishwavidyalay University
- West Bengal State University
While progress was made on 8 names, a disagreement persisted over candidates for three major universities: North Bengal University, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology (MAKAUT), and Netaji Subhash Open University.
To resolve this, the Supreme Court has referred the matter back to the Search-cum-Selection Committee headed by former Chief Justice of India, Justice U.U. Lalit. The Bench has empowered the Committee with broad discretion to break the deadlock:
"We leave it to the discretion of that Committee to (i) recommend a fresh panel from among the existing candidates; or (ii) initiate a fresh selection process."
The Committee has been asked to examine all materials furnished by the rival parties and endeavor to take a decision within four weeks.
This order is a critical step towards normalizing academic administration in West Bengal. For nearly two years, the state's higher education system has been paralyzed by the friction between the TMC government and the Governor, leaving dozens of universities headless or run by interim appointees. The Supreme Court's intervention, utilizing the neutral expertise of Justice U.U. Lalit, is finally dismantling the political logjam, prioritizing student welfare over constitutional ego battles.