West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose, in his capacity as chancellor of state-run universities, on Sunday appointed interim vice-chancellors of seven varsities, including Presidency University, MAKAUT and University of Burdwan.

Prof Raj Kumar Kothari has been appointed Interim VC of West Bengal State University, while Justice Subhrakamal Mukherjee, who currently holds interim charge of Rabindra Bharati University, will also be Interim VC of Presidency University.

Prof Debabrata Basu has been appointed Interim VC of Uttar Banga Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, while Prof Tapan Chanda was appointed Interim VC of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology. Prof Gautam Chakraborty has been given charge of University of Burdwan, and Prof Indrajit Lahiri will take charge as Interim VC of Netaji Subhas Open University.

Prof Shyam Sundar Dana was appointed Interim VC of West Bengal University of Animal and Fishery Sciences.

Sources said the interim vice-chancellors of nine other universities have also been finalised and appointment letters “will be issued soon”.

The governor took the decision in order to “mitigate the problems faced by students”, they said.

Of the varsities for which the names of interim vice-chancellors have been finalised, five are universities where earlier officiating VCs had resigned due to threats issued to them, the sources said.

The criteria for selection of the interim vice-chancellors were eligibility, suitability, competence, willingness and desirability, the sources added.

In an earlier interview to PTI, the Governor had pointed out that the Calcutta High Court has said that on appointments of vice-chancellors, the governor needs to consult the state government, but has upheld that he does not need the state's concurrence in appointment of VCs.

He had also stated that university statutes do not state that vice-chancellors have to be necessarily academics.

"I have appointed a former chief justice and a retired IPS officer as officiating VCs because of their qualifications," he had said, adding, "Anybody can be appointed as Interim VC".