Tension marks Jadavpur University convocation as Guv opts out, 'ousted' officiating VC chairs programme

Kolkata: Amid a standoff between the West Bengal government and the Raj Bhavan, the convocation of Jadavpur University unfolded in a tense atmosphere on Sunday, with Governor CV Ananda Bose giving it a miss, and Buddhadeb Sau, whom Bose removed as the officiating vice chancellor on disciplinary grounds, chairing the ceremony.

Around 5,000 students received degrees and certificates at the convocation. Sau was removed from his post on the night before the scheduled date of convocation on December 24.

The state higher education department criticised the governor's 'arbitrary and unilateral decision' and urged the university's highest decision-making body, the court, to allow Sau to exercise his powers for the benefit of the students.

Sau officially opened the ceremony but refrained from addressing the gathering or distributing degrees, instead sitting through the proceedings on the podium. He delegated the responsibility of awarding degrees to pro-VC Amitava Dutta.

Despite being invited and present in the city, the governor, who is the ex-officio chancellor of state-run universities, did not attend the convocation.

In a subsequent press interaction, Sau mentioned that the governor's removal letter provided no reasons for his dismissal.

He emphasised that he followed the state government's directive, thanking Education Minister Bratya Basu and Chancellor Bose for their support.

"The state government's communique allowed me to hold the court meeting just before the convocation and I went by the mandate. I am thankful to the education minister and his department. I also thank the chancellor for allowing me to work all these days," he said.

Sau clarified that he had assumed the role of interim VC as per the mandate, denying any personal aspirations for the position.

Sau did not comment on whether he will be at the VC's office on January 2, when the institute reopens after the Christmas-New Year vacation, stating he would act by the law.

"I will act as per the law. As the officiating VC, it was my responsibility to complete the convocation process," he added.

Raj Bhavan was miffed with Sau for proceeding with the convocation on the scheduled date of December 24, despite Bose not granting consent due to legal concerns.

After the end of the first session of the convocation, around 300 SFI and AISA activists entered the venue, carrying black flags and protesting the delay in student union polls.

They also demanded swift punishment for those implicated in a student's death due to ragging and denounced the extension of invitations to the governor, education minister, and UGC chairman Jagdeesh Kumar over their stance on NEP, 2020.

Executive Council member Goutam Maity told PTI that the 'Sunday morning court meeting paved the way for Sau to open the ceremony', citing the university court's authority, as notified by the state government, to decide the matter post-Raj Bhavan's decision.

Senior JU faculty member Omprakash Mishra asserted that, as per the university statute, the convocation must be held on December 24 annually, and the university's autonomy should not be encroached upon.

However, JUTA general secretary Partha Pratim Roy raised questions on the legality of the proceedings, given the chancellor's role as the appointing authority of the VC and the 'constitutional custodian' of state universities.

The development also drew sharp reactions from the ruling TMC, which accused the Raj Bhawan occupant, of 'working arbitrarily and harming the interests of the students'.

Nevertheless, despite the drama, students dressed in the university's traditional yellow convocation gowns expressed happiness on receiving degrees.

"I was waiting for this moment for so long to receive my degree," post-graduate philosophy student Ankita Sarkar said.

West Bengal has been witnessing a stand-off between the government and the governor over the appointment of interim VCs to various state-run universities by the Raj Bhavan occupant, with the higher education department claiming the orders appointing VCs were illegal as the governor had not consulted the department before making the appointments.

The matter has been dragged to the Supreme Court, with the apex court asking Attorney General for India R Venkataramani to use his 'good offices' for amicable appointment of the VCs. The court had earlier asked Bose to sit with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee 'over a cup of coffee' to resolve the deadlock.