Assembly passes University Laws Bill amid BJP protest

Soon after, a BJP delegation led by party chief whip Manoj Tigga went to the Raj Bhavan and requested Governor CV Ananda Bose not to sign the Bill.

In the second week of May this year, the state government had brought the West Bengal University Laws (Amendment) Ordinance to effect changes made in the formation of the search committee for the appointment of vice-chancellors in the state universities.

According to the ordinance, the five-member search committee will have one representative each nominated by the chief minister, the state Education Department, the Higher Education Council, the University Grants Commission (UGC), and the Governor, the ex officio chancellor of all state universities.

Before the ordinance was brought in, there was a provision for a three-member search committee with one representative each nominated by the state Education Department, the state university concerned and the Governor.

The Bill was tabled on Friday to make the ordinance a law.

Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said, “We demanded that this bill be sent to the select committee of the Assembly but the Speaker refused. The government passed this bill with the majority in a highly undemocratic manner.”

After meeting the Governor at the Raj Bhavan, BJP MLA Shankar Ghosh, a member of the party delegation, said, “This is a dangerous Bill. When the state government failed to make the Chief Minister the chancellor of the universities, they brought this ordinance to form an absolute majority in the select committee so as to appoint vice-chancellors of their choice. The Bill was brought to politicise the education system. We will continue our protest against this and request the Governor not to sign the Bill.”

Later, Education Minister Bratya Basu said, “We had earlier brought an ordinance and today passed the Bill on the same. The Bill’s main crux is that the number of members of the search committee for vice-chancellors has been increased from three to five. This is per the UGC instructions. There will be representation from the UGC as well. I do not know why the Oppositions is protesting against the CM’s representation in the search committee.”