Jadavpur University V-C removed after Governor’s order

Jadavpur University Vice-Chancellor Bhaskar Gupta removed after student protests, questions raised about handling of unrest.

Bhaskar Gupta, the vice-chancellor of Jadavpur University, has been removed from his duties after an order was passed from the West Bengal Governor’s office on Thursday (March 27, 2025). 

This comes after month-long protests on the premises of Kolkata’s premium educational institute, with students boycotting classes and the V-C missing from action for over two weeks, raising questions about his role in handling the escalation. 

Mr. Gupta’s official tenure was supposed to end on March 31, but he was removed with immediate effect four days before the end of his term. 

The official letter from Raj Bhavan stated, “The authorization given to Professor Bhaskar Gupta as per Order No.WBG/AB/657 dated 20 April, 2024 to exercise the powers and perform the duties of the Vice Chancellor of Jadavpur University till further orders is withdrawn and shall come into effect immediately.” 

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During his tenure, Mr. Gupta has faced many challenges, including the recent incident of student unrest, which started on March 1, 2025, when protests turned violent on the university premises when students and West Bengal State Education Minister Bratya Basu engaged in a face-off for hours. The students were demanding an audience with the Minister to negotiate their demands for a fair student union election, but things took a violent turn when a student was run over by the Minister’s car and sustained major injuries. 

Students had repeatedly demanded an audience with the V-C after the March 1 incident, but he cited health reasons and did not set foot on campus for over two weeks. University members voiced their dissatisfaction after he failed to provide any statement.