WB Cabinet clears bill to replace Guv with CM Mamata as chancellor of state-run varsities

The West Bengal cabinet on Monday passed the resolution allowing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to replace Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar as the Chancellor of state-run universities. The cabinet had on May 26 approved a proposal to replace the governor as the chancellor of varsities amid his political tussle with the TMC-led government.

After a cabinet meeting on Thursday, state education minister Bratyabrata Basu announced that the government has given its consent to replace Governor Dhankhar with CM Banerjee as the Chancellor of the state-controlled universities. Until now, the Governor was holding the Chancellor's position in the 17-government aided universities.

Dhankhar has been at loggerheads with the Mamata Banerjee government in the state on several issues since assuming charge as the governor in July 2019. He had recently locked horns with the state government over the appointment of vice-chancellors (VCs) of varsities amid other issues. He had alleged that vice-chancellors of "24 universities have been appointed illegally without the chancellor's approval".

Tussle between Mamata Banerjee & Jagdeep Dhankhar

In December last year, the governor expressed anguish after chancellors and vice-chancellors of private universities skipped a meeting called by him at his official residence. They had expressed inability to attend the meeting citing the COVID-19 situation.

Dhankhar had faced a similar situation in January 2020 when vice-chancellors of state-run universities were invited for a meeting. He alleged that the state government was making appointments to the vice-chancellor post in various universities without consulting the chancellor, and he is being forced to take a strong view of such developments.

The governor had then said that there was a need to revisit all the appointments and called for a focus on improving the educational environment in the state.

The state education minister had last year said that it was time to introspect whether there was a "need to continue with the colonial legacy" of getting the governor to hold the post of chancellor.

The West Bengal cabinet's decision was based on a recommendation made by the Punchhi Commission in 2010 that the convention of appointing governors as chancellors of universities be stopped. 

(With inputs from agency)