Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has led the Modi Government into to a constitutional crisis by declining to step down from the post of Chancellor of the Visva-Bharati despite the “gentle prods” from the ruling dispensation. Sources said HRD Minister Smriti Irani has sent ‘feelers’ to the former PM ‘thrice’ to step down as the Acharya (Chancellor) of the University, but Singh has refused to do so.
“He (Singh) was also asked by senior Congress leader Dr Karan Singh to move out from Visva-Bharati soon after the new Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) took over as head of the Government,” said the sources. Karan Singh, who has headed several institutions including the prestigious ICSSR during the previous Government, had himself stepped down from the helm of ICSSR as soon as a regime change happened at the Centre.
Founded by the first non-European Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore in 1921, Visva-Bharati was declared to be a central university and an institution of national importance by an Act of Parliament in 1951 and this is only Central University which has PM as its Chancellor. While President of India is the Paridarsaka (Visitor) of the University, the West Bengal Governor is the Pradhana (Rector), and the Prime Minister the Acharya (Chancellor). The President of India appoints the Upacharya (Vice-Chancellor) of the University.
Meanwhile, incumbent V-C Sushanta Dattagupta on Saturday appointed Prof Swapan Datta as the pro-V-C and got it ratified by the Executive Council meeting which he had convened outside the Visva-Bharati Shantiketan on Saturday. With this, Dattagupta already embroiled in several controversies, seems to have invited fresh trouble by ignoring the HRD Ministry’s recommendation for Prof Chakradhar Tripathi as the pro V-C. Tripathi also met the HRD Minister in this regard a few days ago.
“When the V-C goes, his appointed pro-VC also goes. New V-C will have his own,” said a top HRD Ministry official when asked to comment on the day’s development. A day before the EC meeting which had a massive 89 agenda for discussion, Dattagupta also nominated two provost of the University. Dattagupta was appointed by Manmohan Singh.