New Visva-Bharati officiating V-C says he is not sure about his rights and duties

Kolkata: Newly appointed officiating vice-chancellor of Visva-Bharati Prof Sanjoy Kumar Mallik on Thursday said he will talk to Union higher education ministry about his rights and limits before taking any key decision.

Mallik, who was the principal of Kala Bhavan, the visual arts department of Visva-Bharati, told reporters that though the appointment letter of the Union ministry did not specify his responsibilities, one of his primary tasks would be to facilitate the process of appointing a permanent VC.

"For me, the news of being considered for the post is totally unexpected as I am a teacher. I am yet to know what I will be my role from the administrative point of view," he said on the first day after taking over.

Vice-Chancellor Bidyut Chakraborty, whose five-year tenure in the central university was riddled with controversies including the land row with economist Amartya Sen and the UNESCO plaque issue, retired on Wednesday.