Presidency varsity V-C in damage control mode

A day after a prominent academician and member of the University mentor group, Sabyasachi Bhattacharya, made public that he has decided to quit the Presidency University, the Vice-Chancellor Anuradha Lohia on Saturday mounted a damage control effort.

Prof. Lohia said that the allegations made by the University’s A.J.C. Bose Distinguished Chair Professor (Prof Bhattacharya) that there is a lack of pluralism and his views were not taken in decision-making are not correct.

“I don’t agree with him in this regard. I have always asked for his opinion on various issues. However, it will not be right to say that I had always gone by his suggestion,” Prof Lohia said.

She maintained that the reasons for the professor leaving could be financial. “He (Sabyasachi Bhattacharya) had been saying for last three months that he would leave if he did not get pay protection.”

Despite the V-C’s claim, many in the academic circles feel that financial reasons cannot be attributed as sole reason for a professor of Mr Bhattacharya stature to leave the university.

Prof Bhattacharya was reportedly unhappy with the academic ambience of the University and may return to his old institute Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. Prof Bhattacharya is the fourth faculty member to leave the university since July 2014.