Violence, corruption major challenges in Bengal, claims Guv

Kolkata, Dec 24 (PTI) West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Wednesday claimed that violence and corruption are the two problems faced by the state and asserted that campuses of educational institutes must be freed of such menace to ensure a free, fair and safe academic environment.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the 68th annual convocation of Jadavpur University (JU) here, Bose said the premier institution is the pride of the nation for its academic excellence and brilliant students, but stressed the need to keep campuses free of "unwanted elements".

"West Bengal is now faced with two problems - violence and corruption - which need to be addressed. We have to ensure a safe and free academic environment. Campuses have to be freed of the menace of violence," he said.

Asked about the unnatural deaths of two undergraduate students on the campus this year and in 2023, the governor said there should not be any outsiders residing on campus to prevent such incidents.

"There should not be any outsiders residing on the campus to prevent unfortunate incidents. I had even suggested seeking ISRO’s help to step up surveillance in the institute," he said.

On the issue of setting up a permanent police outpost on the campus, Bose said such matters were to be decided by the state government.

To a query on President Droupadi Murmu not giving assent to the Bill seeking to make the chief minister the chancellor of state universities instead of the governor, Bose said, "The governor, by virtue of his office, becomes the chancellor. The President, in her wisdom, decided there was no need to change that." "That is applicable everywhere, in every state. The President’s decision affirmed these established norms," he said.

Bose said the tradition of the governor being the de facto chancellor had been spelt out earlier by S Radhakrishnan and Murmu's decision reaffirmed that principle.

"Being the governor, I had to forward the Bill passed by the Assembly to the President, and she did not give consent," he said.

On six state universities remaining without vice chancellors, Bose said there was no consensus between Raj Bhavan and the state government on the names recommended.

"I am of the view that these nominees do not deserve to be vice chancellors," he said.

On protests by members of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) outside the convocation venue demanding immediate students’ union elections, Bose said they have the right to raise their demands.

"Students have every right to speak out about their demands. These are issues to be considered by the government," he said, adding that he would study the charter of demands submitted to him by the protesters.

Explaining his absence from the JU convocation over the past two years, the governor said, "The university is getting a new direction under a full-time vice chancellor. In the last two years, there was no full-time VC, so the convocation had no validity." The governor did not face any obstruction during his arrival or departure, though around 100 SFI student activists shouted slogans and held placards demanding union elections, student representation in the Internal Complaints Committee and enhanced campus security.

"We are happy the governor met us and listened to us after the convocation. He also promised to take up our demands with the government," Sougata, an office-bearer of the JU SFI unit, said. PTI SUS MNB