Bihar Guv assures VCs on edu dept’s ‘interference’

Bihar Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Tuesday assured a delegation of vice chancellors that he would take necessary action to prevent unwarranted interference of the education department into the affairs of the state universities, said an official familiar with the matter.

However, the Governor, who is also the Chancellor of state universities, also asked the VCs to act in a manner that their dignity is not compromised. “You all are the nominees of the Chancellor and your behaviour should be in accordance with it. I have issued necessary guidelines in the past also and you should understand what position you hold and who can call you. What needs to be sorted out internally should be done that way and the VCs and registrars should behave properly,” Arlekar told them, expressing disappointment over the spat between a VC and a registrar.

The delegation met the a chancellor after Monday’s incident at the meeting of VCs called by the education department, where there was a verbal dual between Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University VC Professor Jawahar Lal and its registrar Dr Girijesh Nandan over the appointment of guest teachers. The VC later got the registrar suspended through a notification by acting registrar and college inspector.

However, Arlekar told the VC that due process should be followed before taking any decision and nothing should be done in haste or impulse.

The VCs apprised the Governor of the alleged interference by education department officials and said they would not attend meetings called by the education department, as they only caused humiliation.

A Raj Bhawan communique later said the Chancellor gave necessary guidelines to the VCs and assured them of proper action in this regard. “The education department should not transgress the jurisdiction of the universities and the Raj Bhawan,” he added.

Last month also, the Raj Bhawan had written to the Bihar government for corrective measures immediately, as the “education department through its actions seems to be bent upon destroying the academic environment in the state”.

Meanwhile, the education department on Tuesday issued the acedemic calendar for January.