Kolkata: The Supreme Court on Friday urged governor C V Ananda Bose and the state to resolve the vice-chancellor issue “amicably” and not to force its hands to appoint VCs by judicial orders.
Both Bose, also the chancellor of state universities, and the Bengal govt agreed that in the first instance, they would see if the issue could be amicably resolved instead of a precedent set by the SC.
During hearing, the SC asked why 15 more VCs had not been appointed in consultation with the state, as directed. The attorney-general appearing for the governor said the chancellor did not find anyone suitable for seven universities from the list of VC nominees submitted by the govt. But the state said they were never told about it.
Bengal’s standing counsel in SC Sanjay Basu said, “The court observed as the chancellor objection to seven names, the state must recommend 12 to 15 suitable names for those seven at the earliest... For the rest eight, names suggested by govt, and on which the chancellor had no objection, should be accepted and orders be passed.” Basu added, “The attorney-general said the names considered not suitable, along with reasons, would be shared with the state and that immediate appointment at the remaining eight universities would be made with names suggested by the state.”