RANCHI, March 18 -- The Jharkhand Assembly on Tuesday cleared the Jharkhand State University Bill 2026, which provides for the governor and the chief minister to jointly select and appoint vice-chancellors of the state universities. Currently the governor appoints VCs in the state universities, as the governor is the de facto chancellor. In August last year, the Hemant Soren government introduced the Jharkhand State University Bill 2025, which passed during the monsoon session. The Bill proposed transferring the power to appoint VCs from the governor to the chief minister. The governor sent it back to the state for reconsideration. On Tuesday, the government withdrew the 2025 Bill and introduced this new Bill, which the Assembly passed despite objections from opposition members who wanted it sent to the Select Committee. Introducing the Bill in the House, higher education minister Sudivya Kumar said, "This August House passed the Jharkhand State University Bill 2025 on August 26, 2025. After the Bill was sent for the Governor's assent, the government reassessed it. We are withdrawing the Bill and introducing a new Jharkhand State University Bill 2026 with few changes, including clerical mistakes." The 2026 Bill proposes that the governor and the CM jointly select, appoint and remove vice chancellors....