Visva-Bharati VC retires, leaves without handing over charge

Visva-Bharati University's officiating Vice Chancellor Swapan Kumar Dutta retired yesterday and left office without handing over the charge to anybody.
According to the university statute, the senior-most director of the institute is assigned as the acting vice- chancellor. Thus, Sabujkoli Sen, the senior most director, was supposed to become the acting VC.
However, Sen said, "I have not yet received any letter from his (VC's) office to act as the officiating vice chancellor. Though Sunday is a working day here, I cannot join as the officiating VC."
Sen also said that he knew that Saturday was Dutta's last day as the officiating vice-chancellor.

Swapan Kumar Dutta, who retired yesterday, was not available for a comment on the matter.
In March 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was appointed as the chancellor of Visva-Bharati.

In February 2016, then President Pranab Mukherjee had approved the dismissal of then Vice-Chancellor Sushanta Dattagupta. It was the first instance of sacking of the VC of a central university.
Since then, Dutta has been working as the officiating vice chancellor.
According to university officials, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) neither appointed a new vice- chancellor nor extended the service of Dutta till yesterday.