Notwithstanding protests by students who are demanding the resignation of Jadavpur University interim Vice-Chancellor (VC) Abhijit Chakrabarti, the Governor of West Bengal reposed faith in Professor Chakrabarti and appointed him V-C for a period of four years.
“…. the Honourable Chancellor Jadavpur University has been pleased to appoint Professor Abhijit Chakrabarti, Professor of Electrical Engineering, Bengal Engineering and Science University, Shibpur, Howrah, and the interim Vice-Chancellor of Jadavpur University as the Vice-Chancellor of Jadavpur University for a term of four years..,” a government notification said.
The notification in possession of The Hindu , signed by Principal Secretary of West Bengal Higher Education, Vivek Kumar, is dated September 29, 2014.
Professor Chakrabarti was appointed interim V-C in October 2013 after the resignation of Shouvik Bhattacharyya as the University’s Vice-Chancellor.
Following this, a selection committee set up by the State government, with members R. Chidambaram, Sugata Marjit and Gopal Mishra, shortlistedthree academicians, of which Professor Chakrabarti’s was the first choice.
Governor of West Bengal Keshari Nath Tripathi, who is also Chancellor of the University, accepted the recommendations of the committee and appointed Professor Chakrabarti for the post.
In September, the V-C and the Registrar, were ‘gheraoed’ by the students demanding a fresh probe panel on the alleged sexual harassment of a girl student on the campus. Following the incident, the V-C called the police into the campus, triggering a massive student protest in Kolkata and rest of the State. The students demanded the resignation of the V-C.
However, the students are not planning any protest as the Governor appointed has Professor Chakravarti as full-time V-C of the University.
Rahul Sinha, president of the State unit of BJP, said that even though Governor Tripathi is a senior leader of the party, the BJP feels that the appointment of Mr Chakrabarti as the permanent V-C is not the right decision.
