18 academics ask Bengal to scrap bill that lets government transfer professors
By TUF News Desk · Published 11 October 2026 · 5 min read
Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy
Eighteen academics from across India have asked the West Bengal government to withdraw the new law that lets it transfer teaching and non-teaching staff from one state university to another. They raised the demand at an all-India online protest meeting on October 8, organised by the Association of Bengal University Teachers (ABUTA) along with the West Bengal College and University Teachers’ Association (WBCUTA) and other university-level teachers’ bodies, according to an ABUTA statement released on Saturday.
The West Bengal Universities and Colleges (Administration and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 was introduced and passed in a special session of the state Assembly on September 10. It allows the state to move employees across eight state universities on administrative grounds, according to PTI.
The government’s stated aim is to use experienced faculty to strengthen newer universities that face staff shortages. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari told the Assembly that similar transfer provisions exist in Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra. He said staff unhappy with the new arrangement were “welcome to quit”.
What the teachers say
The academics who joined the October 8 meeting see the law very differently. Jawhar Sircar, the state’s former principal secretary for higher education, called it a “direct attack on university autonomy”. Arun Kumar, general secretary of the All India Federation of University and College Teachers’ Organisations (AIFUCTO), described the Bill as an attempt to “punish teachers and create an atmosphere of fear”.
ABUTA general secretary and Jadavpur University faculty member Goutam Maity said the fear of transfer could discourage teachers from independent thinking and expressing dissent. Syed Akhtar Husain, president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association, urged teachers across the country to oppose the legislation through political, legal and social means. WBCUTA general secretary Nilay Kumar Saha said the teachers’ bodies would jointly challenge the Bill in court and continue their agitation.
Nandita Narain, former president of the Delhi University Teachers’ Association, and former Tumkur University vice-chancellor AH Rajasab also spoke at the meeting. Narain stressed the responsibility of teachers to safeguard campus autonomy, while Rajasab alleged that progressive and rational thinking was being suppressed in public universities.
Protests have been building for weeks
The October 8 meeting is the latest stage of a campaign that began weeks ago. Teachers at the University of Calcutta staged a sit-in on September 26, and professors at Jadavpur University marched across the campus the same day, the Telegraph reported. Teachers at the University of Kalyani also marched that day and submitted a deputation to their vice-chancellor demanding the law’s withdrawal.
Earlier, 401 teachers of Jadavpur University, along with every member of the Jadavpur University Teachers’ Association, wrote to Governor R.N. Ravi, who is also the chancellor of all state universities, asking him to ensure the Bill is withdrawn. In a separate letter, 14 academicians warned the governor that moving staff between universities would disturb the academic balance of both institutions and hamper teaching and research programmes.
WBCUTA president Subhoday Dasgupta pointed out that the current government is extending a 2017 law from the Trinamool Congress era, under which, he said, college teachers had already been transferred in phases without justified reason.
What the government cites
Millennium Post reported that the Bill carries safeguards: transferred employees can retain their lien in the parent university or opt for permanent absorption in the new one, and their service conditions, seniority and other rights would be protected. The higher education minister told the Assembly the move would balance autonomy with accountability towards the government and would not affect PhD supervision or projects.
Why this matters for students
The fight is about more than staff service rules. The 14 academicians who wrote to the governor argued that research funding for major projects is often linked to the presence of expert faculty as principal investigators, and that laboratories and libraries are built around specialists. A transfer mid-project, they said, leaves young research students without supervision and resources lying underused. For students choosing among state universities, the dispute is a reminder to look past rankings and check who actually teaches and supervises research in a department.
Frequently asked questions
What is the West Bengal inter-university transfer bill?
The West Bengal Universities and Colleges (Administration and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, passed by the state Assembly on September 10, empowers the state government to transfer teaching and non-teaching employees from one state university to another.
Why are teachers opposing it?
Eighteen academics say the law threatens university autonomy and academic freedom. They argue that the fear of transfer could discourage independent thinking and dissent among faculty, and that moving staff mid-project disrupts research supervision and grant-funded programmes.
Who has protested against the bill so far?
Teachers at the University of Calcutta staged a sit-in on September 26, while professors at Jadavpur University and teachers at the University of Kalyani marched on campus. Earlier, 401 Jadavpur teachers and a group of 14 academicians wrote to Governor R.N. Ravi seeking the Bill’s withdrawal, and teachers’ bodies now plan to challenge it in court.
What does the government say?
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari defends the law as a way to deploy experienced teachers to newer, weaker universities, saying similar transfer provisions exist in Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra. The Bill also promises safeguards: transferred staff keep their lien or can opt for absorption, with service conditions and seniority protected.
Frequently asked questions
What is the West Bengal inter-university transfer bill?
The West Bengal Universities and Colleges (Administration and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, passed on September 10, lets the state government transfer teaching and non-teaching employees from one state university to another.
Why are teachers opposing it?
Eighteen academics say it threatens university autonomy and academic freedom. They argue the fear of transfer could discourage independent thinking and dissent, and that transfers disrupt research supervision and grant-funded projects.
Who has protested against the bill so far?
Teachers at Jadavpur University, the University of Calcutta and Kalyani University have held sit-ins and marches; 401 Jadavpur teachers and 14 academicians wrote to Governor R.N. Ravi seeking its withdrawal; teachers' bodies plan a court challenge.
What does the government say?
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari says the law will deploy experienced teachers to newer, weaker universities, and that similar transfer provisions exist in Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra.
Sources: The Economic Times Education (PTI), The Times of India, The Hindu