The West Bengal Assembly on Thursday (September 10, 2026) passed a Bill that empowers the State government to transfer teaching and non-teaching staffers from one State university to another.
The West Bengal Universities and Colleges (Administration and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 was tabled by State’s Higher Education Minister Jagannath Chattopadhyay during a special session of the State Assembly with 171 MLAs voting in support and 15 against. The State cabinet had approved the Bill on September 8.
The statement of objects and reasons of the Bill states that the State, through the legislation, intends the government to optimise the utilisation of human resources in the higher education sector while protecting the service conditions, seniority, and other rights of university employees. While the objects of the legislation may appear praise worthy, the MLAs from the Opposition flagged that the Bill will lead to selective targeting of academicians critical of the State government.
What legal provisions does the Bill entail?
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”.
Section 11 of The West Bengal Universities and Colleges (Administration and Regulation) Act, 2017 provided for the transfer of employees of colleges (teachers, librarians, officers and non-teaching employees) from one college to another. However, there is no corresponding provision for the transfer of employees of universities from one university to another.
The 2017 Act was enacted to provide for better administration and to improve the quality of education in the State-aided higher education institutions in West Bengal.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari’s stance on the Bill
During the Trinamool Congress regime, the State government has set up several universities and many of them lacked basic infrastructure, teachers and even students. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, while participating in the discussion on the Bill in the Assembly said that the State government’s aim is to make weaker universities stronger and independent by applying the provisions of the Bill.
Mr. Adhikari said that if anyone wants to call this misuse of power, they can keep doing it. “We don’t care. We have come to power for five years with a two-thirds majority,” he said.
Repeated references to Jadavpur University during Bill discussion
During the discussion on the Bill, Mr. Adhikari made repeated references to Jadavpur University (JU), saying that “so-called pundits” would be sent to newly established institutions which would benefit from their experience.
The Chief Minister also said Jadavpur University would receive ₹1,300 crores in grants, but warned that those raising slogans such as “Bharat tere tukde honge” [India, you will be divided into pieces] would face severe consequences.
“Those brainwashing JU students have to be given a strong dose. You will take students from the hostel (to rallies)!… I have all the records of JUTA (Jadavpur University Teachers Association). I have all the records of what you have done,” he said. JUTA is known to be a Left-backed teachers union.
The Chief Minister took a swipe at the Left leaning academicians, linking it to the intent of the Bill. He said the Bill proposes inter-university transfer to bring about socialism a reality and make use of the teachers’ “vast knowledge”. “You know (about) Comrade Lenin, Comrade Marx Che Guevera You want the rule of peasants and labourers. To bring about socialism, the teachers of the old and established eight universities will be sent to the new universities to make them strong. We want to make use of your vast knowledge. What is there to object?”
What is the Opposition’s reaction to the Bill?
MLAs from the Opposition said that the Bill will lead to selective targeting of academicians critical of the State government.
Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee 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. If there is selective targeting, there could also be cases where someone is a supporter or associate of a particular political leader,” 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 concerned teacher 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.
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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 the teachers critical of the West Bengal government.
Published – September 11, 2026 11:41 am IST
