Stories
Academics Demand Withdrawal of Bengal Inter-University Transfer Bill
N
News18•10-10-2026, 18:30
Academics Demand Withdrawal of Bengal Inter-University Transfer Bill
- •Eighteen academics have demanded the withdrawal of the West Bengal inter-university transfer bill, claiming it compromises university autonomy and academic freedom.
- •The demand was made during an all-India online protest meeting organized by ABUTA, WBCUTA, and other teachers bodies on October 8.
- •The West Bengal Universities and Colleges Amendment Bill empowers the government to transfer teaching and non-teaching staff between state universities.
- •Prominent educationists and teacher association leaders criticized the legislation as an attack on democratic values and a tool to create fear among educators.
- •Teacher bodies announced plans to jointly challenge the Bill in court and continue their statewide and national agitation.
Key Questions Answered
The West Bengal Universities and Colleges (Administration and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, allows the government to transfer teaching and non-teaching staff between state universities. Academics are demanding its withdrawal, arguing that it threatens university autonomy, fosters fear, and suppresses independent thinking.
The West Bengal Universities and Colleges (Administration and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, was introduced and passed during a special session of the state Assembly on September 10, 2026.
Various teachers' associations, including ABUTA and WBCUTA, have resolved to jointly challenge the contentious transfer Bill in court and continue their statewide agitation through political, legal, and social means.
