Chancellor should be ‘elected CM’, not ‘selected’: Punjab CM Mann
The Hindu
Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann advocates for elected Chief Minister as Chancellor of State-run universities, criticizes Governor's role.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday stressed that a Chancellor of State-run universities should be an “elected Chief Minister” rather than “selected”, a remark which was referred to the State Governor.
Taking a swipe at Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Mr. Mann said if the Governor does not want to give assent to any Bill, then he sends it to the President who returns that Bill after a couple of months.
His statement came after the President returned a Punjab Bill that seeks to replace the State Governor with the Chief Minister as the Chancellor of State-run universities without her assent.
Mr. Mann said he will hold a meeting on the issue of the Punjab Universities Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which has been returned by the President.
Replying to a question on the Bill being sent back, Mr. Mann said such Bills which state that an elected Chief Minister should be the Chancellor were also brought by governments in West Bengal and Kerala.
“We want that democracy should not be of selected but of elected,” he emphasised.
Speaking about the current process for the appointment of Vice-Chancellor of State-run universities, Mr. Mann said: “If we want to appoint the V-C of Punjabi University, then we will have to give three names to the Governor. He will select one of them of his choice. Then who chooses? Is it elected or selected”.