SC: Only regular VCs for state-aided WB varsities

Satya Prakash
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 3
Amid a standoff between Governor CV Ananda Bose and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the appointment of vice chancellors (VCs) in West Bengal, the Supreme Court has said only regular VCs shall be appointed to head all 36 state-aided universities there.
A Bench led by Justice Surya Kant gave wide-ranging powers to the Justice UU Lalit-led panel to shortlist eligible candidates for appointment as VCs. “In addition, the chairperson will be free to co-opt any expert even from outside these lists at his discretion,” it said.
The Bench, which had on July 8 constituted a search-cum-selection committee headed by former CJI Lalit to oversee the appointments, clarified on July 29 that there should not be any interim arrangement with regard to VCs’ appointment.
“To be more specific, it is clarified that there shall be appointment of regular vice chancellors in all 36 state-aided universities,” said the Bench, which also included Justice KV Viswanathan.
Earlier, it had authorised the chairperson of the panel to constitute separate or joint search-cum-selection committees for one or more universities, keeping in view the nature of subjects/disciplines in which education is being imparted in such universities.
It accepted the suggestion made by the parties that the age of retirement of VCs shall be 70 years, except the VCs of Aliah University, the West Bengal University of Health Sciences and the West Bengal University of Animal and Fishery Sciences, who shall retire at 65.

More powers to panel
A Bench led by Justice Surya Kant gave wide-ranging powers to the Justice UU Lalit-led panel to shortlist eligible candidates for appointment as university Vice Chancellors.