Mon Dec 23 14:51:44 UTC 2024: ## Jadavpur University Convocation in Jeopardy Over Governor’s Objection

**Kolkata, Dec 23, 2024** – The upcoming Jadavpur University convocation ceremony, scheduled for Christmas Eve, is facing cancellation due to a dispute between the West Bengal Governor, C.V. Bose, and university authorities. Governor Bose, who is also the university’s Chancellor, claims his permission was not sought for the event, rendering any awarded degrees invalid.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal has echoed the Governor’s concerns, calling the event “unlawful.” The Raj Bhavan issued a statement criticizing the Vice Chancellor for allegedly violating university rules and potentially jeopardizing the validity of degrees for over 3,500 graduating students. The statement further noted that the convocation should have been postponed given the ongoing process of appointing a new Vice Chancellor.

Jadavpur University, however, insists it is proceeding with the ceremony as planned. Professor Partha Pratim Ray, general secretary of the Jadavpur University Teachers Association (JUTA), expressed deep concern, highlighting the inconvenience to students traveling from around the world to receive their degrees. JUTA emphasized the potential negative impact on students’ future prospects if degrees are delayed. Many students have already secured jobs or further education based on provisional certificates.

Leader of the Opposition and BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari added fuel to the fire, stating on X (formerly Twitter) that the convocation date was set without proper legal procedure, accusing the Vice Chancellor of bypassing democratic processes and incurring unauthorized financial expenditure.

This conflict between the Chancellor and the university administration is reportedly a recurring issue, with a similar standoff occurring last year. The controversy leaves graduating students in a state of uncertainty regarding the validity of their degrees just days before the scheduled ceremony.

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