Partha meets 3 VCs, discusses exchanging academic activities

West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee Wednesday met vice-chancellors of three state-run universities and discuss establishment of a network aimed at improving academic standard of students of different disciplines studying in the institutions.

Vice-chancellors of the Calcutta University, the Presidency University and the Jadavpur University attended the meeting where an outline was formulated to set up such a network, Chatterjee told reporters.

"We had two agenda at the meeting - holding video conferencing (where students of one institution can hear the lecture of another) and conducting workshops for professors," Chatterjee said.

"We will also prepare and finetune a student exchange draft among the higher educational institutions," he said without elaborating.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier mooted the idea of exchange of students from one university to another, so that students of one can have a more enriching experience by the faculty of the other.

In the run-up to the 200th birth anniversary of Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar next year, Chatterjee said, the state will ask the Centre to issue a stamp on the great reformer.

"We will also organise a two-day seminar on his life and works at the Sanskrit College and University when the articles used by him will be on display," he said.

He said a statue of Vidyasagar will also be set up on the Vidyasagar Setu if the government departments concerned accepted the proposal considering all the aspects.