As Jadavpur University prepares to hold convocation on Christmas eve, Governor says he did not give permission

Controversy surrounds Jadavpur University's convocation as Governor's permission was not sought, rendering degrees awarded potentially invalid.

With the convocation ceremony of Jadavpur University set to commence on Christmas eve (December 24), West Bengal Governor C.V. Bose, who is the Chancellor of the varsity, has said that his permission was not taken for the event and thus the degrees awarded in the ceremony will be invalid. Leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the State have also said that conducting the event without the Governor’s permission is ‘unlawful’.

However, the University sources said the institution is going ahead with the preparations for the event as it does every year.

The Raj Bhavan media cell issued a statement saying, “The conduct of a Vice Chancellor should be in conformity with the [University] Acts and Rules and he should avoid unlawful actions which could lead to unnecessary litigations affecting the validity of the Degrees given, thereby affecting the interests of the student community. It is expected that the authorised VC should observe all legal proprieties and should not flout the Act and Rules.”

The date of the convocation was finalised on December 17 after an Executive Council meeting. However, the Raj Bhavan media cell stated, “It was also indicated to the authorised VC that since the process of appointing Vice Chancellors is underway and is nearing completion, the matter of holding the Convocation was best left to the new incumbent.”

The controversy has left professors and students worried about the validity of the degrees. Professor Partha Pratim Ray, general secretary of the Jadavpur University Teachers Association (JUTA), told The Hindu, “Over 3,500 students are set to get their degrees at the event tomorrow. They are flying in from across the world. It would be a very wrong decision to stop the convocation now.”

An official statement made by JUTA also stated that the constant and recurring issue over the university’s convocation was unfortunate. It stated, “If the students, researchers and scholars do not get their degrees on time, it can affect their future. We have an obligation towards them.” Professor Ray added that many students have joined work or other educational institutes with their provisional certificates and hence receiving their original certificates at the convocation is crucial for them.

Leader of the Opposition and BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari also commented on the matter saying that due legal process has not been followed for fixing the date of the convocation hence rendering it unlawful.