The Supreme Court has revised its previous directions concerning the appointment of Vice Chancellors to state universities in West Bengal, granting complete autonomy to the Justice UU Lalit-led Selection Committee to independently determine the most suitable candidates for 15 pending positions. The Court held that the committee will no longer be bound by the preference list provided by the Chief Minister and must instead apply its own assessment based on merit and suitability.
A Bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi observed that Justice Lalit and his committee members were best placed to make such decisions, having already reviewed the candidates’ academic profiles, professional experience, and other relevant credentials. The Court emphasized that the committee may still consider the remarks and views shared by the Governor and the Chief Minister but shall not be constrained by any order of preference previously issued.
The modification came in the context of the ongoing conflict between the West Bengal Government and Governor CV Anand Bose, who serves as the Chancellor of state universities, over the appointments. In July 2024, the Apex Court had constituted the Justice Lalit-led committee to resolve the impasse. So far, appointments in 17 out of 35 universities have been concluded based on the committee's recommendations and formally approved by the Chancellor.
During the hearing, the Court examined Justice Lalit’s latest report, submitted on July 11, 2025, which pointed to significant variance in preferences between the Governor and the Chief Minister regarding the remaining appointments. In seven institutions, the Governor supported the candidates placed second in the CM’s list, while in eight others, the third-preference candidates were favored. Justice Lalit had not previously given an independent stance on these discrepancies, prompting the Court to empower the committee to make the final call without awaiting concurrence from either constitutional authority.
Modifying Paragraphs 18 and 21 of its earlier order, the Court clarified that the committee would henceforth formulate its own order of preference for the pending appointments and complete the process at the earliest. It also noted that while the opinions of the Governor and the Chief Minister could be taken into account, they would not be binding.
Regarding specific cases, the Court directed the Chancellor to approve Professor Dr. Sonali Chakraborty Banerjee’s appointment as Vice Chancellor of Rabindra Bharati University. The Chancellor had previously withheld consent citing her existing appointment at West Bengal State University, but it was clarified during proceedings that she had not assumed charge there. The Court held that this objection no longer held merit and permitted her to resign from any prior post to take charge at Rabindra Bharati University.
Similarly, for Cooch Behar Panchanan Barma University, the Court stated that if the Chancellor had no concerns regarding the suitability of the Chief Minister’s top recommendation, the appointment must be approved in the students’ best interest.
The dispute has its origins in a Special Leave Petition filed by the State of West Bengal against a June 2023 Calcutta High Court decision that upheld the Governor’s interim Vice Chancellor appointments. Initially, the Supreme Court retained supervisory control, reserving the right to decide final appointments if disagreements persisted. However, the Court has now transferred full authority to the Justice Lalit Committee to finalise the selection process.
The matter will next be taken up after four weeks.
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