Jadavpur University convocation being held on December 24, 2023. The Governor had directed removal of officiating Vice Chancellor Buddhadeb Sau, who presided over the event.
| Photo Credit: DEBASISH BHADURI
A fresh controversy erupted at Kolkata’s premier Jadavpur University with Governor C. V. Ananda Bose late on Saturday evening directing the removal of the university’s interim Vice-Chancellor Buddhadeb Sau. However, Professor Sau defied the order and officiated at the university’s convocation on Sunday.
The sacking of the interim V-C hours before the convocation of the university resulted in an imbroglio. The West Bengal Education Department stepped in and asked the interim V-C to maintain status quo and conduct the convocation in accordance with the schedule.
On Sunday, Prof. Sau presided over the convocation ceremony uneventfully. Governor Bose, also the Chancellor of the university, did not attend.
Speaking to media persons, Prof. Sau said that his decision to continue was in the interests of the students. “I received two letters — one from the Raj Bhavan and another from the State government. I put both the letters before the university’s court, which asked me to continue,” the acting V-C said.
Prof. Sau was appointed by the Governor in August 2023, when a student died allegedly after falling from the university’s hostel building following severe ragging by his seniors. Though Prof. Sau was appointed without the consent of the State government, it now appears that he has the backing of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government as Mr. Bose has decided to fire him.
“The authorisation given to Prof. Buddhadeb Sau, as per order no. CU/WB/22/23 dated August 17, 2023, to exercise the powers and perform the duties of the office of Vice Chancellor, Jadavpur University until further orders, is withdrawn. This order will take immediate effect,” the Governor’s order of Saturday had said.
After the order was issued, the acting V-C vowed his allegiance to the State government, saying that an elected government considers the well-being of the people. According to officials at the Raj Bhavan here, the Governor has sought legal expertise on whether he could grant post-facto approval to the convocation, without which the degrees awarded to students would be invalid.
A group of senior academicians under the banner of the Educationist Forum had, in a press statement on December 23, targeted the Governor. “The same Chancellor who holds Convocations in other universities like Kalyani University or Vidyasagar University in complete defiance of the Regulations now seeks to sabotage the same with regard to JU. This speaks of his doublespeak and attempt to politicise the administration of universities of West Bengal,” the statement had said.
“The Chancellor seems to give currency to an iniquitous system of governance by implementing double standards. He passes an Order only to break it in no time,” the forum added.