Presidency Mentor Group offers to dissolve itself

Presidency Mentor Group Chair Prof Sugata Bose today said that he has requested West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to dissolve the group as it has served its purpose.
The mentor group was formed by Mamata Banerjee in 2011 and was chartered to provide recommendations and a roadmap to establishing Presidency University as a pre-eminent institution of learning.
Each of the mentor group members, consisting eminent academicians, have served the mentor group in all these years, Bose said at the closing ceremony of Bicentennial Celebration of the Presidency University here.
Bose, an eminent historian, said, "We have sent the report of the Mentor Group to the Chief Minister where we have also suggested while there are 2-3 heritage aspects involving sentiments of all stakeholders of Presidency, it is also very important what we should choose what to retain and what to discard.

"Now that other statutory bodies of the university is functioning, we feel that our work is done," Bose said in his address before the Vice Chancellor Anuradha Lohia, poet Sankha Ghosh and others.
Ghosh said the members of the group will continue to offer informal advice whenever sought.

The ceremony was organised by Presidency Alumni Association and Presidency University Kolkata.
Bose said the Main building -- Baker building of the 200-year old institution -- has been beautifully renovated keeping the heritage aspects in mind.
About the students' agitation surrounding the closure of Eden Hindu Hostel for renovation, Bose said, "After inspecting the building we had submitted in our report that it was in a squalid condition without minimum hygiene facilities and I also believe this hostel should not be saddled with the religious tag (Hindu) which refers to casteism."

Sankha Ghosh also called for improving teacher-student relationship in institutions.