Nalanda Varsity’s Chancellor Quits, Raises Concern Over ‘Autonomy’

Nobel laureate Amartya Sen was removed from NU’s governing board without Chancellor George Yeo’s consultation.

Amartya Sen and ex-Chancellor of Nalanda University George Yeo (Photo: Reuters/Wikipedia)

The second Chancellor of Nalanda University, George Yeo, resigned from his post on Friday after stating that though he was repeatedly assured of “autonomy” in the institution, the situation had changed.

His move comes after the reconstitution of NU’s governing board was approved and Yeo was “not even given a notice of it”.

On Thursday, the decision for a new board was approved by President Pranab Mukherjee (in his capacity as a NU Visitor), which severed founding chancellor and Nobel laureate Amartya Sen’s decade-long ties with the institution.

Sen, who has been critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, had resigned as the NU Chancellor in February 2015, but continued to be a member of the governing body.

According to a Hindustan Times report, Harvard professor and Trinamool Congress MP Sugata Bose and UK-based economist and Labour politician Lord Meghnad Desai are no longer part of the board.

‘Puzzling’ Move

President Pranab Mukherjee with Amartya Sen and Chancellor George Yeo at the foundation-laying ceremony of Nalanda University earlier this year. (Photo: PTI)

This decision took Yeo by surprise, who later said, “The circumstances under which the leadership change in Nalanda University has been suddenly and summarily effected is disturbing and possibly harmful to the university's development.”

He called the move “puzzling”.

“When I was invited to take over the responsibility from Amartya Sen in July 2015, I was repeatedly assured that the university would have autonomy. This appears not to be the case now,” Yeo lamented.

The President also approved giving temporary charge of Vice Chancellor to the senior-most Dean of the university as the current VC Gopa Sabharwal's one-year extension expired on Thursday.

The new governing board will be a 14-member body, which will be chaired by the chancellor. It will also comprise vice-chancellor, along with five members nominated by India, China, Australia, Laos PDR and Thailand.

(With inputs from PTI and Hindustan Times)