The West Bengal Legislative Assembly on Thursday passed a Bill that empowers the State government to transfer teaching and non-teaching staffers from one State university to another.
The Bill was tabled by Higher Education Minister Jagannath Chattopadhyay during a special session of the State Assembly with 171 MLAs voting in favour and 15 against. The Cabinet had approved the Bill on September 8.
The West Bengal Universities and Colleges (Administration and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, seeks to amend the 2017 Act by empowering the Chancellor, in consultation with the State government, to transfer employees “for administrative reasons”. The legislation seeks to add a provision to Section 14A of the existing 2017 Act, allowing inter-university transfers of teaching and non-teaching employees as and when required, officials said.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who participated in the discussion repeatedly targeted Jadavpur University in his address. Taking a dig at the Jadavpur University Teachers’ Association, the Chief Minister said the “so-called pundits” would be sent to newly established institutions, which would benefit from their experience.
“We aim to make weaker universities stronger and independent by applying the Bill. There is a ground reality that necessitates the Bill,” Mr. Adhikari said.
Leader of the Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress questioned both the manner in which the Bill was introduced and the absence of “academic reasons” alongside “administrative reasons” as grounds for transfer.
“The problem is whether this Bill could lead to selective targeting of political opponents,” he said.
Former IPS officer and Trinamool Congress MLA Prasun Banerjee said there could be a legitimate administrative need to transfer experienced teachers when student numbers in a particular subject declined, but warned against using the power for political purposes.
“If the number of students in a particular subject at a university declines, there may be a need to utilise the expertise and experience of the teacher concernedn elsewhere. But it is essential to ensure that the power to transfer does not become a tool for politically ‘selective targeting’ of anyone,” he said.
Communist Party of India ( Marxist) MLA Md. Mostafijur Rahaman and Indian Secular Front MLA Nawshad Siddique also said that the legislation will lead to selective targeting of academics critical of the West Bengal government.
Published – September 11, 2026 12:43 am IST
