WBUHS VC attends guv’s online meet, others don’t

INTERFACE STANDOFF

WBUHS VC attends guv’s online meet, others don’t

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Kolkata:  16.07.2020

A state university participated in the virtual conference with the West Bengal governor on Wednesday while others chose to stay away, throwing up two faces of universities in the state.

West Bengal University of Health Sciences (WBUHS) vice-chancellor Rajendra Pandey had a direct interface with governor Jagdeep Dhankhar when VCs ofother state universities had cited service rules under West Bengal State Universities Act barring them from having direct interaction with the chancellor.

WBUHS is placed under the Bengal health department, and not higher education, and therefore doesn’t come under the Act, a state official said.

“The governor wanted updates on four issues, including holding ofexaminations in the pandemic situation. We told him our university is following all regulations, the Covid protocol, and holding examinations and publishing results. He also wanted to know about state quota for the NEET qualified applying for PG admission in state medical colleges. I cited him the Supreme Court ruling,” the WBUHS VC said.

After the virtual meeting, Dhankhar tweeted: “Had benefit of inputs from VC and Pro VC of West Bengal University of Health Sciences in Virtual Conference. Unfortunately other VCs in disregard of student interests failed in their duty to attend. Would never compromise student welfare.”

The governor had been insisting on interactions with varsity heads after UGC issued revised guidelines to state universities making examinations — pen-and-paper, online, hybrid — compulsory for final semester/final year students.

There was in fact an escalation in the standoff between Raj Bhavan and VCs after the officer on special duty (OSD) to the governor wrote to VCs on July 13 asking them to take part in the virtual meeting. “VCs and pro-VCs to attend the virtual meeting on July 15 in a state of preparedness and any disregard to this may result in violation of their conduct leading to consequences as per statutory prescriptions,” the letter had said. West Bengal Vice-Chancellors’ Council responded with “shock” at the letter.

The stalemate reached the CM, who wrote to the governor on July 14, saying “unseemly situations that are avoidable must be avoided. Their (VCs) non-attendance would be serious matter in law. Will send out a wrong signal to the country. Hope they get the right indication from the government.”

Dhankhar, however, went ahead with his plan. Hours before the meeting, he said: “VCs must attend virtual conference and desist from taking partisan stance.”