West Bengal Governor launches SPEED programme for faster decisions in universities

Amid the ongoing tussle between the West Bengal Governor and the Mamata Banerjee government, CV Ananda Bose on Tuesday launched the SPEED programme in West Bengal universities.

The SPEED (Simplified Procedure for Easy and Effective Decision) programme aims to speed up the decision-making process in the university system in West Bengal.

Bose, who is also the Chancellor of universities, has also ordered the setting up of 25 teacher selection committees and a Vice Chancellor committee.

The Vice Chancellor Committee has been set up to identify the backlog in the university administration and to suggest ways and means for revamping and rebooting the University system.

A Real-time Monitoring Cell has also been set up in the Raj Bhavan for concurrent evaluation.

Governor Ananda Bose and the Trinamool Congress government have been at loggerheads over the control of universities in the state.

The tussle escalated last week when the state education minister, Bratya Basu, called the Governor the ‘new vampire in town.’ In a follow-up action, the Governor sent two letters: one to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and another to Delhi in his ‘midnight action.’

Both the Governor and CM Mamata have avoided disclosing the contents of the letters so far.

The Governor’s recent decision to constitute selection committees for the appointment of Vice Chancellors for multiple univeristies also invited severe criticism from the government.