West Bengal has filled long-pending vacancies in several state universities, with Governor C V Ananda Bose approving the appointment of six new vice-chancellors.

The move, seen as a step toward easing the tension between the Raj Bhavan and the state government, brought immediate praise from Education Minister Bratya Basu.

According to a senior Raj Bhavan official, Prof Abu Taleb Khan has been appointed Vice-Chancellor of Biswa Bangla Biswavidyalaya, and Prof Chandradipa Ghosh will lead Sadhu Ramchand Murmu University, Jhargram.

Prof Ashis Bhattacharjee takes charge of the University of Gour Banga, while Prof Ashutosh Ghosh has been named the new head of the University of Calcutta.

Prof Uday Bandyopadhyay will serve as Vice-Chancellor of Kazi Nazrul University, and Prof Chiranjib Bhattacharjee will assume office at Jadavpur University.

The Governor, who is also Chancellor of all state-run universities, cleared the appointments with immediate effect.

Minutes after the announcement, Education Minister Bratya Basu declared that all six appointees were Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s first choices. “In six more state government-aided universities, the Vice-Chancellors of the Chief Minister’s first choice have been appointed. My heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to all of them,” Basu wrote on X.

The development follows months of friction between the state government and the Raj Bhavan over vice-chancellor appointments after the terms of several full-time heads had expired.