Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday asked the vice chancellors of state universities to help students in their hour of need instead of adopting a “defiant stance”. He referred to proceedings in the Supreme Court following a plea challenging the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) decision to make final-year university examinations mandatory.

Dhankhar tweeted, “Students are our future and most important priority. Next hearing in Hon’ble Supreme Court on July 31. Our judiciary is acknowledged best in world and outcome will be in public interest. Time for VCs @MamataOfficial to engage in helping students in hour of need.”

The Supreme Court has asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who is representing the UGC, to file a reply by July 29.

The Governor tweeted, tagging CM Mamata Banerjee’s account, “Rather than address student concerns in tough Covid times, VCs are taking a defiant stance to the detriment of education qua Governor/Chancellor. Such tactics would not deter me notwithstanding posture @MamataOfficial — consequences would emanate once Covid-19 situation normalises.”

State Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said, “The Governor has no other work. He just rakes up old issues. Instead of thinking about students and their welfare, the Governor is only expressing his concerns. Under the present circumstances, students should not be asked to physically sit for exams. So far the Governor has not done anything for students.”

Earlier this month, Dhankhar had said the education system in the state was “politically caged”. He made the comment a day after most VCs of state universities skipped a meeting he had convened. A meeting with the VCs on January 13 had also failed to take off after the education department objected to the governor setting up the interaction without informing it.

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