Kalyani, Aug. 12: Amalendu Bhunia, the interim Vice Chancellor of Kalyani University and a professor of commerce submitted his resignation to the Governor on Monday evening following an ongoing demonstration against him by a section of agitating non-teaching staff and students on the campus.
On March 31, 2023, Bhunia was appointed as the interim Vice-Chancellor.
These protesters are affiliated with the Trinamool Shiksha Bandhu Samiti and the ruling party’s students’ wing Trinamool Chatra Parishad.
For over past six months, members of these organizations have been staging demonstrations in front of the Vice Chancellor’s office, demanding his resignation.
On Monday, the situation escalated when protesters locked the gate to the VC’s office, preventing officials from accessing the premises, which ultimately led to Bhunia’s decision to resign.
In a statement to the media, Bhunia, who was appointed by Governor C.V. Ananda Bose, said, “They wanted me to step down. So I emailed my resignation to the appointing authority. It is now up to the appropriate authority to accept my resignation.”
University sources revealed that the conflict between Bhunia and the students and non-teaching staff had been ongoing since he took office. The protesters have been demanding the implementation of a revised pay structure as announced by the state government, addressing the lack of a National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) grade, the suspension of examinations in the distance learning program, and other issues.
Sandip Bakhundi, a member of the Shiksha Bandhu Samiti, commented, “During this VC’s tenure, the overall academic standards of the university have significantly declined, and he has failed to meet the expectations of students, teachers, and non-teaching staff.”