New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday appointed former Chief Justice of India U U Lalit to head a search and selection committee to oversee the appointments of chancellors of state universities in West Bengal.
The ruling TMC dispensation has a dispute with West Bengal Governor C. V. Ananda Bose, who is also the chancellor of state universities, over how state universities should be run.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan ordered the committee to be constituted within two weeks after noting that both the state and the governor's office had agreed to the formation of the panel.
Apart from Justice Lalit, the committee will comprise five members, who will prepare a panel of three names in alphabetical order for the appointment of vice-chancellors of each university.
The prescribed period for completing the entire process is three months, the top court said.
The top court said the committee's recommendations, endorsed by the president, will be presented to the prime minister.
"If the CM finds any candidate unsuitable, the supporting material and observations will be sent to the chancellor (governor) within two weeks," the court said.
The remuneration of the committee will be borne by the state and former CJI Lalit will receive Rs three lakh per effective meeting of the committee.
The West Bengal Assembly had passed a bill raising the number of members of the search committee set up to appoint chancellors in state universities from three to five.
The BJP had opposed the West Bengal University Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023, alleging that the new search committee would further enhance the ruling party's control over the appointment of vice-chancellors.
The top court was hearing an appeal by the West Bengal government against the June 28, 2023 order of the Calcutta High Court, which said there was no illegality in the orders issued by the West Bengal governor appointing acting vice chancellors (VCs). in 11 state universities in his capacity as ex officio rector of said institutions.
In October last year, the high court suspended the emoluments of the newly appointed acting vice-chancellors and asked the governor to sit with the prime minister "for a cup of coffee" to resolve the impasse over the appointment of venture capitalists.
The top court had said a reconciliation between the governor and the prime minister was necessary "in the interest of educational institutions and the future careers of lakhs of students".
Sanat Kumar Ghosh, a petitioner who filed the petition in the high court, and the West Bengal government claimed that the orders appointing venture capitalists to state universities were illegal as the governor had not consulted the higher education department before make appointments.
The ruling TMC dispensation has a dispute with West Bengal Governor C. V. Ananda Bose, who is also the chancellor of state universities, over how state universities should be run.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan ordered the committee to be constituted within two weeks after noting that both the state and the governor's office had agreed to the formation of the panel.
Apart from Justice Lalit, the committee will comprise five members, who will prepare a panel of three names in alphabetical order for the appointment of vice-chancellors of each university.
The prescribed period for completing the entire process is three months, the top court said.
The top court said the committee's recommendations, endorsed by the president, will be presented to the prime minister.
"If the CM finds any candidate unsuitable, the supporting material and observations will be sent to the chancellor (governor) within two weeks," the court said.
The remuneration of the committee will be borne by the state and former CJI Lalit will receive Rs three lakh per effective meeting of the committee.
The West Bengal Assembly had passed a bill raising the number of members of the search committee set up to appoint chancellors in state universities from three to five.
The BJP had opposed the West Bengal University Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023, alleging that the new search committee would further enhance the ruling party's control over the appointment of vice-chancellors.
The top court was hearing an appeal by the West Bengal government against the June 28, 2023 order of the Calcutta High Court, which said there was no illegality in the orders issued by the West Bengal governor appointing acting vice chancellors (VCs). in 11 state universities in his capacity as ex officio rector of said institutions.
In October last year, the high court suspended the emoluments of the newly appointed acting vice-chancellors and asked the governor to sit with the prime minister "for a cup of coffee" to resolve the impasse over the appointment of venture capitalists.
The top court had said a reconciliation between the governor and the prime minister was necessary "in the interest of educational institutions and the future careers of lakhs of students".
Sanat Kumar Ghosh, a petitioner who filed the petition in the high court, and the West Bengal government claimed that the orders appointing venture capitalists to state universities were illegal as the governor had not consulted the higher education department before make appointments.
