Teachers' body opposes West Bengal transfer Bill, warns of intensified movement

The West Bengal College and University Teachers' Association (WBCUTA) has come out strongly against the State government's proposed teacher transfer legislation, describing it as an attack on education and warning that its movement will intensify if the Bill is not withdrawn.

The W.B. Universities and Colleges (Administration and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, was tabled in the Assembly by Higher Education Minister Jagannath Chattopadhyay on September 10. Under its provisions, both teaching and non-teaching employees can be transferred to any university or college in the State for "administrative reasons", in consultation with the Chancellor and the State government. The Bill does not require the consent of the employees concerned.

Speaking against the move, Jadavpur University professor and WBCUTA member Partha Pratim Roy said the legislation strikes at the autonomy of universities and would damage centres of excellence and the broader academic atmosphere. He added that accreditation and ranking outcomes, including NAAC accreditation and NIRF rankings, depend on the faculty available at an institution, and that these could suffer as a result.

The association pointed out that most higher education institutes are already functioning with only 40 to 60 per cent of their sanctioned teaching strength. Teachers also flagged a concern under University Grants Commission regulations: the transfer of a supervisor could lead to the cancellation of a research student's PhD registration. "Their years of work will go to waste," said University of Calcutta professor Mahalaya Chattopadhyay.

WBCUTA has outlined a phased plan of action. It will first write to the Governor, who is also the Chancellor of the universities, and follow this with a signature campaign, a mass convention and a simultaneous protest march. If the government does not roll back the Bill despite these steps, the teachers have threatened to hit the streets, and to pursue legal action after consultations with legal experts.

The Bill's introduction was accompanied by sharp remarks from Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who took multiple swipes at Jadavpur University and said that "so-called pundits" would be sent to newly established institutions, which would benefit from their experience. A day before the Bill was tabled, at a march outside Jadavpur University, he said "nationalism" would be restored on the campus and "anti-national" elements uprooted, adding that adequate measures were being taken. The remarks have raised concerns among professors about targeted transfers.

Professors argued that many of the new institutes to which they fear being transferred lack even buildings or classrooms, and that sending teachers there would damage the existing education system without helping the new institutions. WBCUTA president Subhoday Dasgupta said that if the government genuinely wanted to change the situation, it should conduct fresh recruitment and create jobs, which would help new institutes grow without harming the existing academic system.

Gautam Maity, convenor of the All Bengal University Teachers' Association, said the language being used to threaten teachers has no place in a civilised society, and questioned how teachers who once taught these politicians had come to be seen as enemies. He said arbitrary transfers are not the answer to improving education, and that more fund allocation, rapid recruitment and infrastructure development are the way forward. "They are punishing teachers who dare to speak. But we have a responsibility towards the public, because these are public institutions, and we will not give up without a fight," he said.