V-Cs unilaterally appointed by Governor are ‘illegal entrants’: Education minister

“The V-Cs should be appointed following discussions between the Governor and the higher education department. The Supreme Court has already termed the appointment of interim V-Cs by the governor without taking the state in confidence as illegal,” the minister told reporters.

The department has invited to the symposium only those academics who were appointed as per law, he said. “We don’t think any illegal entrant is needed here,” Basu said.

Governor Bose, who is the ex-officio chancellor of state-run universities, has appointed officiating vice-chancellors in 16 varsities. The post is still vacant in several other such institutes.

About allegations by a theatre group in North 24 Parganas district that its bookings of a municipality-owned auditorium in Kalyani have been cancelled at the last moment after they staged an “anti-government” play in Kolkata, the minister said, “Theatre cannot be stopped, theatre will move on its own.” Basu, an acclaimed theatre personality.