Kolkata, Dec. 4 -- The Bengal government on Thursday appointed Souren Bandyopadhyay as the new chairman of the West Bengal College Service Commission (WBCSC), replacing Dipak Kar, who had held the post since November 2017. Alongside the change at the top, WBCSC's Controller of Examination Selim Box Mondal was removed and replaced by Subhranil Som.
Bandyopadhyay is currently a professor in the Bengali department at Gour Banga University, Malda, while Som has been serving as principal of Bhairab Ganguly College in Belgharia. Kar, who continues as vice chairman of Vidyasagar University, had simultaneously been holding additional charge as WBCSC chairman.
The reshuffle comes amid allegations surrounding the recruitment process for college principals. The selection procedure began in 2024 and received the Commission's approval in 2025, but questions over transparency were raised by certain aspirants. One candidate, Mohammad Siddiqui, reportedly wrote directly to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, alleging violation of rules in the recruitment process.
However, the state Higher Education department described the reshuffle as a "routine" affair.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.