Bhaskar Gupta, the vice-chancellor of Jadavpur University, was removed from his position four days before the end of his term by order of the West Bengal Governor. This followed month-long student protests stemming from a violent incident on March 1st, 2025.
The protests began after a student was injured when the West Bengal State Education Minister's car hit him during a demonstration. Students demanded a meeting with both the minister and the vice-chancellor, but Mr. Gupta remained absent from campus for over two weeks, citing health reasons. This absence fueled student anger and further protests.
The Governor's office officially withdrew Mr. Gupta's authorization as vice-chancellor, effective immediately. The official letter cited the ongoing unrest and the V-C's handling (or lack thereof) of the situation as justification for the removal.
File picture of interim V-C of Jadavpur University, Bhaskar Gupta | Photo Credit: DEBASISH BHADURI
Bhaskar Gupta, the vice-chancellor of Jadavpur University, has been removed from his duties after an order was passed from the West Bengal Governor’s office on Thursday (March 27, 2025).
This comes after month-long protests on the premises of Kolkata’s premium educational institute, with students boycotting classes and the V-C missing from action for over two weeks, raising questions about his role in handling the escalation.
Mr. Gupta’s official tenure was supposed to end on March 31, but he was removed with immediate effect four days before the end of his term.
The official letter from Raj Bhavan stated, “The authorization given to Professor Bhaskar Gupta as per Order No.WBG/AB/657 dated 20 April, 2024 to exercise the powers and perform the duties of the Vice Chancellor of Jadavpur University till further orders is withdrawn and shall come into effect immediately.”
Jadavpur University loses Institute of Eminence status
During his tenure, Mr. Gupta has faced many challenges, including the recent incident of student unrest, which started on March 1, 2025, when protests turned violent on the university premises when students and West Bengal State Education Minister Bratya Basu engaged in a face-off for hours. The students were demanding an audience with the Minister to negotiate their demands for a fair student union election, but things took a violent turn when a student was run over by the Minister’s car and sustained major injuries.
Students had repeatedly demanded an audience with the V-C after the March 1 incident, but he cited health reasons and did not set foot on campus for over two weeks. University members voiced their dissatisfaction after he failed to provide any statement.
A protesting student told The Hindu, “As the highest guardian of the institute, he should have made a statement.”
Mr. Gupta’s office was gheraoed by students on March 1 after Mr. Basu’s car hit a student and injured him. Students demanded an explanation from Mr. Gupta. The V-C had visited the injured student at the hospital but was heckled by students as they accused him of not takjng responsibility for the situation.
Published - March 28, 2025 02:24 pm IST
Skip the extension — just come straight here.
We’ve built a fast, permanent tool you can bookmark and use anytime.
Go To Paywall Unblock Tool