Uncertainties galore over JU's working committee meeting post objections by Bengal govt

Kolkata, Nov 4 (IANS) Kolkata's iconic Jadavpur University (JU) is in the midst of yet another controversy, this time due to objections from the Bengal Education Department over an interim vice-chancellor convening working committee meeting.

The state education department has claimed that since Buddhadeb Sau is just the interim vice-chancellor of JU, he has no right to convene working committee meetings, as only permanent vice-chancellors can do that.

A specific note in this regard has also been forwarded from the office of the state education department at Salt Lake to the JU authorities.

Observers feel that this development is yet another reflection of the tussle between the Raj Bhavan and the state education department, as Sau was appointed by the Governor C. V. Ananda Bose recently when the JU was in the midst of controversy over the ragging-related suicide of a minor fresher.

JU insiders said that although working committee meetings were held after Sau took over as the interim vice-chancellor; this is for the first time that the state education department has objected to it.

A meeting of the working committee was supposed to happen in online mode at 5 p.m. on Saturday only. However, following the note from the state education department, grave uncertainties are looming over it now.

"As I can see from here, the interim vice-chancellor has two options. The first is that he can postpone the meeting to avoid further bitterness with the state government. Second, he can go ahead with the meeting since the Governor, as the chancellor of all state universities, has instructed all interim vice-chancellors to take independent decisions without always following the instructions from the state education department," the JU insiders said.