President Droupadi Murmu has rejected an amendment bill passed by the West Bengal assembly proposing the Chief Minister’s name as the Chancellor in state universities of West Bengal in place of the Governor.
As per information received from the Governor’s office in Kolkata, Governor Dr C V Bose reserved the bill for the President’s consideration on 20th April of 2024.
Another Amendment bill related to Aliah University, which also proposed to replace the Governor by the Chief Minister as the Amir-e-Jamia or the Chancellor, was rejected by the President.
The role of governors as Chancellors of State Universities has been a hot issue between the states and the Union government for a long time.
The West Bengal government had passed a bill to replace the Governor and to make the Chief Minister the Chancellor of state universities. Even Tamil Nadu had passed legislation related to the powers of the Governor as Chancellor in appointing Vice Chancellors.
With the President’s disapproval of the Bill, there will be no change in the post of Chancellor in state-run universities in West Bengal. As per the existing system, the Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose is the Chancellor of all state universities.
In 2024, Governor Ananda Bose sent the Bill, which was passed in the West Bengal Assembly, to President Murmu for her consideration.