Without V-C for a year, Visva-Bharati now asks: Who and When?

Visva-Bharati University in West Bengal faces uncertainty as it awaits a new Vice-Chancellor after a year of vacancy.

Visva-Bharati, the only Central university in West Bengal, is currently in the grip of uncertainty and suspense as it remains headless for almost a year now and with some local channels announcing a name — though there is no official communication or confirmation — as the next full-time Vice-Chancellor.

The name of geophysicist Sankar Kumar Nath is being mentioned by a section of the local media but according to a source in Visva-Bharati, the news cannot be relied upon because there is no order from the Education Ministry yet.

“From what we know, a name has been selected and the President has signed the file and sent it to the Ministry, but the envelope is yet to be opened,” said a senior professor who did not want to be named. While suspense remains, there is also disappointment that such a major institution — now even responsible for maintaining the heritage status accorded to Santiniketan by UNESCO — should be functioning without a full-time head for such a long time.

“The lack of a regular Vice-Chancellor affects issues across the university. There has been no appointment of regular officials, including the registrar and finance officer. The heritage cell has remained defunct with no visible leadership. Appointments have been held up and the campus maintenance is in shambles. The university has no real long-term plan as of now. After the fractiousness of the earlier tenure, it urgently requires nurture and a sense of direction,” said another senior professor, requesting anonymity.

It was on November 8 last year that Bidyut Chakrabarty, the last full-time Vice-Chancellor, whose tenure was marked with controversies, retired and since then the university has been functioning under officiating V-Cs. First it was Sanjoy Mallik, who was in charge till June 2024, followed by Arabinda Mondal, who officiated as the V-C until September, when Binoy Kumar Saren took over.

The reputation of the university, founded by Rabindranath Tagore more than a century ago, has seen a decline in the past few years with the campus caught in ideological divide and factionalism. The last full-time V-C was constantly at loggerheads with a section of the staff and also with old-time residents of Santiniketan, something that kept the institution in news for the wrong reasons. At the moment, the campus is occupied with two questions: Who and When?