Siliguri, Jan. 31: Somnath Ghosh, a professor of Jadavpur University in Calcutta, has been chosen as the vice-chancellor of North Bengal University by a three member search committee. He is slated to take charge on February 11.

“Today, we received a letter signed by the secretary of governor M.K. Narayanan, the varsity chancellor, intimating us that Somnath Ghosh, a professor at Jadavpur University has been appointed the new VC of NBU,” said Bishnu Prasad Dwivedi, NBU’s registrar (officiating).

Ghosh is a professor of the chemistry department at Jadavpur University since 1982.

“I have received the appointment letter and will be joining NBU as the vice-chancellor on February 11. I am happy to take charge as the VC. However, it is too early to speak on my plans about the varsity right now,” he told The Telegraph over the phone from Calcutta.

The three member search committee which chose Ghosh comprised Mool Chand Sharma, (governor’s nominee). He is a full-time member of the law commission and former VC of Central University, Haryana. Court nominee Sugata Marjit former chairman of West Bengal State Council of Higher Education and Sabyasachi Basu Roychaudhury, the vice-chancellor of Rabindra Bharati University who is the state government’s nominee were the other two members.

The last full-term VC for NBU was Arunabha Basumajumdar who retired in March 2012.

Samir Kumar Das, a professor of political science department at Calcutta has been the interim VC of NBU since April 2012.