Inter-University Transfer Bill, 2026
Kolkata: The Inter-University Transfer Bill, 2026 passed at the Assembly on Thursday reignited debates over the state power to transfer college professors, a contentious practice with deep roots in the Left Front regime and which continued in the Trinamool times as well. The apprehension was evident when a senior professor from Calcutta University said, “I am 57 years old. I have developed the lab and infrastructure for over 27 years. Debashish Sarkar, who taught economics at govt-run Jhargram Raj College, was served a show-cause notice in 2012 for appearing on TV and criticising state policies. Presidency University security guard Santosh Singh (widely known as Pappu Singh) was transferred to a remote college in Jhargram in Sept 2013 as an alleged punitive measure by the state after he testified and spoke publicly, identifying Trinamool supporters during vandalism and violence on the campus in 2013. We thought things would change after 2011, but conditions deteriorated and now the same alarm bells are ringing after this amendment bill was passed.
The govt used it as a tool to “punish” non-conforming professors to remote districts. A university professor, on the verge of retirement, said, “During the Left-led govt, every appointment, from that of VCs to schoolteachers, were dictated by Alimuddin Street, and penal transfers were a common practice. Jadavpur University computer science engineering professor Nandini Mukhopadhyay said, “The driving force behind prestigious rankings, such as NIRF and QS, is the contribution of professors and researchers—gauged by metrics, like the number of research projects secured and papers published. Mukhopadhyay, also a JUTA member, said, “The current govt repeatedly cite JU as a reference, proposing its professors go and teach at new state universities.
University professors fear this transfer policy will be heavily weaponised to silence dissenting voices as well as serve as a threat to autonomy, academic freedom and will affect universities’ rankings, research and long-established labs by professors. If I am removed from here and sent somewhere else, will I be able to rebuild it with that same level of dedication and devotion? During the Left times, the state frequently exercised its authority to shuttle faculty members, many of them stalwart teachers, between Presidency College and various other govt institutes in Bengal. The practice continued when the Trinamool was in office, too. TOI tried to contact Sarkar, now the principal at Chandernagore College, but he declined to comment. Sampa Sen, a professor at Hooghly Mohsin College, was also served a show-cause notice for her comments on govt bandh norms during a TV talk show. University professors have several responsibilities apart from teaching, research being a major area to secure grants for their institutes. These transfers will hamper such efforts as professors will be consumed with settling down in new environments, which will ultimately disrupt normal university functioning. Even if the professors agree to relocate, will premier institutes, like JU and CU, be able to sustain their top-tier rankings after they left? Looking ahead, will brilliant minds ever aspire to take up teaching positions at state universities after witnessing such policies? Will meritorious students even want to enroll in these institutes?”