Tue Nov 26 17:59:20 UTC 2024: ## Visva-Bharati University Awaits Permanent Vice-Chancellor, Facing Operational Challenges

**Kolkata, November 26, 2024** – Visva-Bharati University, the prestigious institution founded by Rabindranath Tagore, is grappling with the prolonged absence of a permanent Vice-Chancellor (V-C), impacting its academic performance and potentially jeopardizing its upcoming NAAC evaluation. The position has been vacant since November 2023, following the retirement of Bidyut Chakrabarty. Since then, the university has been operating under a series of acting V-Cs.

Faculty members express deep concern over the lack of leadership, citing three major areas of concern: a shortage of new faculty due to delays related to the National Education Policy; potential negative impacts on its NAAC rating due to insufficient oversight of the inexperienced Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC); and a significant number of vacant student seats due to an inexperienced admissions committee, potentially affecting grant funding.

The delay in appointing a permanent V-C has fueled uncertainty and frustration among faculty. Rumors regarding the appointment process abound, with conflicting reports about whether the file has been approved by the President of India or remains pending with the Education Minister. The situation at Visva-Bharati mirrors that of six other central universities currently without permanent V-Cs.

Visva-Bharati, the only central university in West Bengal and whose Chancellor is the Prime Minister of India, celebrated its centenary in 2021 and achieved international recognition last year when Santiniketan received UNESCO heritage status. The university is responsible for maintaining this status. The ongoing leadership vacuum threatens to undermine the institution’s academic standing and its ability to fulfill its responsibilities.

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