Appointment of full-time VCs likely in all state universities by end of Aug: Bengal minister

Kolkata, Aug 14 (PTI) West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu on Thursday said full-time vice-chancellors are expected to be appointed by this month in all state-run and state-aided universities, where interim VCs were functioning.

Governor C V Ananda Bose had appointed several interim VCs, following the expiry of the terms of vice-chancellors at various varsities, including the Calcutta University.

Asked about the row over scheduling of UG semester-level law exams on August 28, which also happens to be the foundation day of the TMC students' wing, Basu told reporters, "You will hopefully get permanent VCs at all universities – where interim VCs are functioning – by end of August. Who knows, if not by that date (August 28) itself." On the issue of delay in publication of the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination (WBJEE) results, he said, "In the wake of the August 7 order of the Calcutta High Court, we are worried over the delay as it is caught in a judicial logjam. We hope the issue is resolved on the judicial front at the earliest. Our lawyers are working on it." The court had stayed the announcement of the WBJEE-2025 results and instructed the WBJEE Board to create a new merit list with a seven per cent reservation for the 66 OBC categories recognised by the state before 2010, and publish it within 15 days.

The HC had found the WBJEE Board's initial merit list to be in violation of its previous order in May regarding OBC reservations.

Asked to comment on the arrest of Jadavpur University alumnus Hindol Majumdar for allegedly plotting an attack on Basu's convoy on the JU campus, the minister said, "I have no information about this. I think this is entirely in the domain of the police. I have no comments to offer." Majumdar was arrested on Wednesday morning after landing in India, for allegedly planning an attack on Basu's convoy on March 1. PTI SUS RBT