The West Bengal Assembly on Thursday passed an amendment bill empowering the state government to facilitate the transfer of teaching and non-teaching staff from one state-run university to another, a move opposed by several teachers’ associations and academics.The “West Bengal Universities and Colleges (Administration and Regulation) (Amendment) Bill, 2026” was introduced by Higher Education Minister Jagannath Chattopadhyay during a one-day special session of the Assembly.The amendment introduces section 14A, which empowers the Chancellor, in consultation with the state government, to transfer an employee of one university to another university established under “any law made by the state legislature for administrative reasons”.The provision states that the transferred employee would carry such conditions of service as may be specified in the transfer order and would be deemed to have been appointed by the competent authority of the university to which he or she is transferred.An employee transferred under the provision would have the option of retaining their lien in the university where they were initially appointed or opting for absorption in the university to which they are transferred.The Bill also provides for transfer grants and the cost of transporting personal effects at prescribed rates. For employees transferred in “public interest” who do not retain their lien in their original university, seniority would be determined with reference to the date of their initial appointment in the respective cadre or post.According to a senior state official, the new amendment Bill expands existing regulations. While the current law allows the transfer of both teaching and non-teaching staff between colleges under the same state university, regardless of who hired them, this Bill will now permit inter-university transfers.Story continues below this adThe Bill was opposed by the left-leaning Jadavpur University Teachers Association (JUTA), that had slammed the government and called it an attack on the self-reliance of the institutions and job security of the employees. “The way the government is trying to centralise the whole system will weaken the autonomy of universities, which is against the basic tenets of the University Grants Commission,” JUTA had said in a statement. The president of Calcutta University Teachers Association (CUTA), Sanatan Chattopadhyay, had urged the government to hold detailed consultations with the stakeholders before introducing the Bill.‘Ground reality necessitates it’, says CMDefending the legislation, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said it was intended to address the shortage of experienced faculty in newer universities and facilitate the exchange of human resources.“There is a ground reality that necessitates it… Several experienced professors will go to the new universities. They will guide these universities on what the infrastructure should be like, how classes can be conducted and how they can be turned into centres of excellence,” Adhikari had said after the state Cabinet cleared the proposal on Monday.He said experienced teachers could be transferred to newer universities in places such as Jhargram and Cooch Behar districts to help develop them.Story continues below this adThe chief minister said the legislation would balance university autonomy with accountability to the government. He also said the provision would not affect PhD supervision or ongoing projects.Another Bill passedA second legislation, “West Bengal University Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026” was also introduced in the Assembly on Thursday. It seeks to bring the provident funds of employees of 21 state-run universities under a common legal framework.Under the proposed amendment, provident funds instituted by universities for their teachers, officers and employees would be governed by the West Bengal Non-Government Educational Institutions and Local Authorities (Control of Provident Fund of Employees) Act, 1983. The Executive Council of each university would be empowered to frame ordinances for administration of the fund, subject to the provisions of the Act.The universities covered by the legislation include Gour Banga University, Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University, Rabindra Bharati University, Presidency University, Cooch Behar Panchanan Barma University, Kazi Nazrul University, Diamond Harbour Women’s University, Raiganj University, Baba Saheb Ambedkar Education University, Sanskrit College and University, Rani Rashmoni Green University, Biswa Bangla Biswabidyalay, Sadhu Ram Chand Murmu University of Jhargram, Mahatma Gandhi University, Murshidabad Maharaja Krishnanath University, Dakshin Dinajpur University, Darjeeling Hills University, Alipurduar University, Kanyashree University, Harichand Guruchand University and Hindi University.Adhikari addresses JU clash, says new law will helpStory continues below this adThe move comes amid tensions at Jadavpur University, where clashes have taken place between the RSS-backed ABVP and Left-backed SFI over ideological control of the campus.On Thursday, Adhikari warned of strict action against what he described as “anti-national forces” at the university and said the government would respond firmly if slogans calling for “Kashmir freedom” were raised on the campus.Speaking in the Assembly, he said the government would follow the language of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose rather than Mahatma Gandhi if such slogans were raised. He also said those supporting slogans such as “Bharat tere tukde honge” would face action.Adhikari described critics of the legislation as “so-called pundits” and said the new law would allow experienced academics to be deployed at institutions that could benefit from their expertise. He also said Jadavpur University would receive grants of Rs 1,300 crore but warned against activities that, according to him, threatened the country’s unity.