No mention of chancellor in Calcutta University convocation invite

Amid the ongoing rift between the Mamata Banerjee dispensation and Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, the Calcutta University, in a departure from its tradition, has issued its annual convocation card with no mention of a chief guest or chancellor.

A week ago, state education minister Partha Chatterjee had said that the programme, this year, might be held without Dhankhar, who is also the university chancellor, in the wake of his “consistent” attacks on the TMC government.

According to sources, the varsity, for the first time in recent memory, did not name any chief guest or chair in its invite for annual convocation, scheduled to be held on January 28 at state-run Nazrul Manch.

In the past few years, CU had invited its chancellor as chief guest for the ceremony.

“The vice-chancellor and the (university) senate request your gracious presence at Annual Convocation of the University of Calcutta,” the invitation card said.

During its senate meeting last month, CU had declared that Nobel laureate Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee will be conferred with the honorary D Litt (honoris causa) during its convocation ceremony.

Despite multiple attempts, Vice-Chancellor Sonali Chakraborty did not respond to calls or reply to Whatsapp messages by PTI.

Last month, TMC employees’ union had blocked Dhankhar’s entry into Jadavpur University (JU), where he had gone to attend its annual convocation. The governor had said “Universities are in captivity... caged by the state government.”