Expressing concern on the recent academic changes at the Jadavapur University, former Vice-Chancellors and academicians met Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi here on Monday and said that unless steps are taken the University may not retain its high academic standards.
The team of academicians comprising former Jadavpur University Vice-Chancellor Ashok Nath Basu, former Vidyasagar University Vice-Chancellor Ananda Dev Mukhopadhayay, former Presidency University Vice-Chancellor Amita Chatterjee, professors Sukanata Chowdhury and Jasodhara Bagchi met Mr Tripathi who is the Chancellor of the University and raised issues like selection of teachers and Deans of different faculty.
The academicians described the recent amendments made in the University Act giving the sole responsibility of appointment of teachers to the Vice-Chancellor and selection of Deans to the State’s Higher Education Department as a “ totalitarian” and “ authoritarian” step.
“The new regulation relating to Inter-disciplinary Schools threatens their future as productive research. Further, the implementation of the regulation appears to have brought about a stalemate in their functioning, with most of the Schools left without a Director and without obvious means of appointing one,” a note circulated by the academicians said.
“The Act and statutes of the University were enacted to provide autonomy to the University. However, in the present circumstance we feel that the University cannot keep on with its progress if what is going on at the University is allowed to continue,” Prof Mukhopadhayay said.