Bengal guv picks ex-CJ of K’taka HC as acting V-C of state university

West Bengal governor appoints retired chief justice as acting VC of Rabindra Bharati University, triggering controversy over lack of academic background.

West Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose appointed retired chief justice of Karnataka high court Subhro Kamal Mukherjee as the acting vice chancellor (VC) of Kolkata’s Rabindra Bharati University on July 4, a move that triggered a row as Mukherjee does not have an academic background.

West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose (PTI)

According to the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) regulations, the VC appointee should be “a distinguished academician...” In his order, a copy of which was seen by HT, the governor, who is the chancellor of all 31 state-run universities said that the former judge “is authorised to...perform the duties of the vice-chancellor of Rabindra Bharathi University,” till further orders.

The post was lying vacant since the tenure of the former acting V-C ended on May 31.

TMC hit back against the governor’s decision. Rajya Sabha member Santanu Sen said, “The governor is trying to run a parallel administration... The appointment... (is) to make the BJP happy.”

Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar defended the governor and said: “The governor followed rules of UGC.”