Academicians write to Governor opposing the inter-university transfer of teachers
Distinguished academics have written to the Governor of West Bengal opposing a new bill that allows for the inter-university transfer of teachers. They argue that such transfers threaten institutional autonomy and disrupt specialized research and teaching programs.
Why it matters
The controversy highlights the tension between government administrative control and the preservation of academic independence in higher education.
Several distinguished academics from the State and other parts of the country have expressed concern over the West Bengal Universities and Colleges (Administration and Regulation) (Amendment) Bill, 2026 , saying academic productivity will be troubled seriously as the universities will no longer have any teaching, research and institutional autonomy.
The Bill was passed by the West Bengal Assembly on September 10.
In a letter to the Governor R.N. Ravi, who is also the Chancellor of all the universities, a group of 14 academicians said that every university is a distinct institution with its own academic structure, programmes and requirements, and that transferring faculty from one university to another could disturb the academic balance of both institutions.
"To move staff from one institution to another would impair the structural balance of both institutions and hamper their teaching and research programmes. Such programmes cannot be readily revised or interchanged," they stated.
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