Kolkata: West Bengal Governor, CV Ananda Bose, declared his unwavering commitment to eradicating corruption and violence within the state's universities. In a passionate statement, he emphasized his role as the chancellor of these institutions and his aspiration for them to attain the highest standards in India.

"I solemnly pledge, in the names of Rabindranath Tagore and Swami Vivekananda, to relentlessly combat these issues until the very end. I stand alongside ten million brothers and sisters who share the vision of campuses and educational systems free from corruption," conveyed the West Bengal Governor in a video message disseminated by the Raj Bhavan.

This proclamation arrives amidst a contentious dispute between the Raj Bhavan and the TMC-led state government concerning the appointment of interim Vice Chancellors by the Governor for certain universities. CV Ananda Bose, who holds the ex-officio position of Chancellor for all state-aided universities, has been appointing individuals of his choosing as Vice Chancellors in recent months.

Regarding his recent appointment of interim VCs, Bose clarified, "The Bengal education ministry initially appointed VCs. However, the Supreme Court ruled against the government, stating emphatically that their actions were illegal. Consequently, all vice-chancellors were compelled to resign."

"In light of this situation, I had to appoint interim VCs. While the Education Ministry opposed this, the Calcutta High Court affirmed my decision," he asserted.

Bose elucidated the primary reason behind his inability to appoint candidates nominated by the West Bengal government, stating, "You must wonder why I couldn't appoint those nominated by the state government as interim vice-chancellors. The truth is, some of them were corrupt, some faced allegations of harassing a female student, and some were embroiled in political matters."

"Now, I ask you, my fellow citizens, should an interim VC be someone tainted by corruption or someone who would mistreat a female student? I pose this question to you," he inquired.

The West Bengal Governor also alleged that five Vice Chancellors he appointed were subjected to intimidation by the TMC-led state government. "They informed me that they were threatened by goons, harassed by the education ministry, and pressurized by senior IAS officers. They confided in me before resigning, and I did not compel anyone to resign," he revealed.

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