Bihar Government Holds Back Vice-Chancellors' Salaries for Skipping Education Department Meeting

Patna: In an unprecedented move, the Bihar government has taken action against vice-chancellors (VCs) of state-run universities who failed to attend a crucial review meeting organized by the education department two days ago. 

The government has ordered the freezing of bank accounts for all universities except Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University and has withheld salaries of the absent VCs.

The education department's letter seeks clarification from the VCs regarding their absence during the meeting, which aimed to discuss pending examinations and other critical matters. If satisfactory explanations are not provided within two days, the authorities may face FIRs. Additionally, instructions have been issued to banks to suspend any transactions related to the concerned universities until further notice.

Education Secretary Baidyanath Yadav issued the letter, which was also sent to examination controllers of all universities except Magadh University and Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University. The department expressed strong disapproval of the VCs' failure to fulfill their duties as public servants by missing the crucial meeting.

Despite several attempts, Bihar Education Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary remained unavailable for comment. Notably, last year in August, the state government halted salaries for the VC and pro-VC of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University in Muzaffarpur due to alleged negligence in inspecting educational institutions and non-attendance at a review meeting convened by the education department. The department had also frozen the accounts of these top officials and the university.