Calcutta University Pro-Vice Chancellor Asis Chattopadhyay Appointed as Temporary Vice-Chancellor

New Delhi: The West Bengal government has appointed Asis Kumar Chattopadhyay, the pro-vice chancellor of Calcutta University, as the university's temporary vice chancellor.

The action was taken a few days after the Supreme Court affirmed the Calcutta High Court's judgement to overturn the government's choice to reappoint Sonali Chakraborty Banerjee as the vice chancellor of Calcutta University.

The higher education department notified through a notification that Chattopadhyay had been "appointed to exercise the power and perform the duties of the Vice-Chancellor of CU for a period of three months or until the appointment of a regular Vice-Chancellor on recommendation by the Search Committee or until he attains the age of 70 years, or until further orders."

When Sonali Chakravarti Banerjee was reappointed as the vice chancellor of Calcutta University on October 11, the Supreme Court noted that the state of West Bengal had taken away the Chancellor's authority.

While it was still deciding the case, the SC dismissed the petitions filed by West Bengal State and Banerjee challenging the Calcutta High Court's verdict, to overturn the State's decision to re-appoint Banerjee as Vice-Chancellor (VC) of Calcutta University.

However, the SC observed that both the facts and the law supported the High Court's decision. The Court noted that the State misused the Calcutta University Act's removal of difficulties provision to grab authority.

The elimination of difficulty provision cannot be misused by the government to have all legislative constraints that stand in its way removed.

Justice Chandrachud read aloud excerpts from the judgement, saying that to permit such behaviour would be to abuse the authority that has been conferred while violating the rule of law.

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