Kolkata, Feb 12 (IANS): West Bengal government is considering bringing about certain changes in the structure of the search committees meant for appointments of vice-chancellors in state universities.

State education department sources said that there is a possibility that the number of search committees will be increased from three to five to make room for a representative from the University Grants Commission (UGC) there.

The composition of the proposed five-member search committee, sources said, will be two representatives from the state higher education department, one from UGC, one from the state university concerned and one nominated by the governor.

In fact, before 2014 the search committees for appointments of vice-chancellors for state universities used to have representatives from the UGC.

However, in the same year, the state government brought some amendments in the legal provisions on this count whereby the UGC representative was replaced with one from the state higher education department.

However, in due course, the process of vice-chancellors appointed by search committees without having any UGC representative faced legal hurdles. Even the Supreme Court of India had observed that the process of vice-chancellor appointed by search committees without any UGC representative was not legally tenable.

On late Saturday evening, the West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose also issued a statement where he raised questions about the legal tenability of such search committees.

Thereafter, the thinking has started to change the composition of the search committees. A state education department official said that the new composition will satisfy all ends where there will be an UGC representative besides an additional state higher education department representative.