In a significant development impacting West Bengal's higher education administration, the President of India has withheld assent to a series of state bills. These bills aimed to replace the Governor with the Chief Minister as the chancellor of state-aided universities, a move seen as a direct challenge to the Governor's traditional role.
Presidential Decision Blocks Major Administrative Overhaul
The Bengal Raj Bhavan officially communicated that President Droupadi Murmu has not granted her assent to the key legislative proposals. This decision creates a substantial roadblock for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's ambition to assume the chancellor's position across state-run universities. The most prominent among these is the West Bengal University Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2022.
Governor CV Ananda Bose had initially reserved this bill for the President's consideration on April 20, 2024. The core objective of the bill was straightforward: to remove the governor from the chancellor's post and install the chief minister in that role. A formal note from Raj Bhavan confirmed the presidential decision, stating the bill "has not received her assent."
Multiple Bills Face the Same Fate
The presidential rejection was not limited to a single piece of legislation. Governor Bose had also reserved two other significant bills for central scrutiny:
- The Aliah University (Amendment) Bill, 2022: This bill proposed appointing the Chief Minister as the 'Amir-i-Jamia' instead of the Governor.
- The West Bengal Health Sciences (Amendment) Bill, 2022: This too sought to replace the Governor with the CM as the chancellor of health sciences universities.
All three bills shared the common goal of shifting the chancellor's authority from the Governor's office to the Chief Minister's.
Constitutional Provision Cited as Key Hurdle
The Raj Bhavan's communication highlighted a fundamental legal obstacle. It pointed out that the Principal Acts governing the state-aided universities contain a specific provision. This provision mandates that "the Governor shall, by virtue of his office, be the chancellor of the university." This existing clause likely formed a critical basis for the President's decision to withhold assent, as the state bills sought to directly contravene it.
Reacting to the news, State Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee stated he had not yet received any formal communication from Raj Bhavan. He suggested a way forward, indicating, "As the state government had introduced the bills, they need to provide their opinion and send it again to the assembly for further action." This implies the state government may need to reconsider its strategy or the legal framework of the proposed amendments.
The development marks a fresh flashpoint in the ongoing tussle between the West Bengal state government, led by the Trinamool Congress, and the Governor's office, which represents the central authority. The failure to secure presidential assent effectively stalls a major administrative reform sought by the Mamata Banerjee administration, leaving the Governor's role as the ceremonial head of state universities intact for now.
