Dhankhar accuses Jadavpur University EC of overstepping

Kolkata: A day after Jadavpur University deferred its scheduled December 24 special convocation and instead called a court meeting to discuss modus operandi of only conferring academic degrees to students, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday said the decision "nullify in law".

In a stern letter to vice-chancellor Suranjan Das, Dhankhar - the ex-officio chancellor - directed him to "ignore" the December 21 executive council resolution and proceed ahead with the special convocation.

The executive council on Saturday decided to defer the special convocation "in view of representations from students organisations" as also press reports that students would boycott Dhankhar - the ex-officio Chancellor - if he was present at the event.

It also decided that the University court would meet to discuss the modus operandi of only providing academic degrees to students.

Dhankar in his letter alleged the Executive Council "outrageously overstepped its c" and its resolution was not "in accordance with the powers conferred on it" and "bereft of any competence or legal sanction and thus nullify in law".

"Executive Council has outrageously overstepped its jurisdictional competence in being judgmental about Chancellor decision.

"Such a resolution of the Executive Council thus cannot be acted upon. As Vice Chancellor you are obliged to proceed ahead ignoring this Executive Council resolution dated December 21,2019," the governor said.

Warning that disregarding the communication entailed 'serious consequences for the concerned', he said such a course would also have potential to "adversely impact" the students who may be conferred degrees in an "illegal convocation".

"Further under Statute 104 clause (a) and (b) the Convocation date has to be with the approval of the Chancellor and Chancellor presides over the Convocation. Such a decision has already been taken by me as Chancellor and conveyed to you.

Following the governor "putting on hold the degree scrolls signed by him", sources said the university has returned the scrolls to Raj Bhavan.

Dhankhar also said that he would preside over the university court meeting on Monday.