The vice-chancellors of Jadavpur University and Calcutta University are set to be appointed on Tuesday.

Ashutosh Ghosh will be named VC of Calcutta University. He had earlier served as the university’s interim VC in 2017.

Chiranjib Bhattacharyya, currently president of the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education and a former pro-VC of Jadavpur University, will assume office as JU’s VC.

The state education department will issue appointment orders for six state-aided universities after receiving formal approval from governor C.V. Ananda Bose, the ex-officio chancellor of state-aided universities.

The names were shortlisted by a Supreme Court-appointed search committee and set in order of preference by chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who then sent the list to the governor for approval.

The six candidates were called to Raj Bhavan on Monday evening.

“Once the governor sends the file on Tuesday, the orders will be issued, enabling the VCs to assume responsibility,” said an education department official.

The appointments will cover: CU, JU, the University of Gour Banga, Kazi Nazrul University, Sadhu Ramchand Murmu University, and Biswa Bangla Biswabidyalay.

Besides Ghosh and Bhattacharyya, the others invited to Raj Bhavan were Ashis Bhattacharya (University of Gour Banga), Uday Bandyopadhyay (Kazi Nazrul University), Chandradipa Ghosh (Sadhu Ramchand Murmu University), and Abu Taleb (Biswa Bangla Biswabidyalay).

Education minister Bratya Basu, in a post on X on October 7, had said: “We are grateful to the Supreme Court- for again playing the role of a sentinel upholding the Constitution and democracy. The Supreme Court gave its seal of approval on the names preferred by the Mamata Banerjee government as the VCs of six state-aided universities.”

JU has been without even an officiating VC since the governor removed the acting VC in March.

The other universities have been functioning under officiating VCs appointed by the governor, allegedly without consulting the education department.

An education official said: “We are looking forward to full-term appointments, as administrative activities have come to a standstill.”

Crucial decisions, such as meetings of JU’s executive council or CU’s syndicate, have been on hold. The education department had issued an advisory in April 2024 barring such sessions without full-term VCs.

A JU official said: “We have to decide on setting up CCTV cameras in strategic locations and a police outpost on the campus. Such decisions can be approved only by the executive council. Once we get the full-term VC, such decisions can be executed.”

A CU official said they were likely to decide the appointment of full-term teachers once the new VC took charge.

Around 52% of teaching posts remain vacant, said Sanatan Chattopadhyay, president of the Calcutta University Teachers’ Association.