Over 450 government-aided colleges in West Bengal fear erosion of autonomy after the State government directed them to submit their bank account and fixed deposit (FD) details to receive financial aid from the government. The institutions also believe that the move is a financial attack on them.
“The Finance Department has introduced the Fund Information System (FIS) portal from the financial year 2025-26, and it is mandatory to provide bank account details and FD details to get any financial assistance from the State government,” said the Department of Higher Education in a circular issued earlier this week.
No official explanation has been given about the move, and principals of these aided colleges have refrained from commenting. However, some academicians are expressing their concern over the matter, and they feel that the government might “dig into their resources”.
“The State government is reducing the funds for education in all sectors. Recruitment of teachers has been halted. Research funds are crunched. Universities are autonomous bodies that have raised resources for a long time through their research, advocacy and industry-institute partnership programmes,” said Ishita Mukhopadhyay, a professor of economics at the University of Calcutta.
