Section 20 in The West Bengal University of Health Sciences Act, 2002
20. Constitution and function of the Academic Council.
(1)The Academic Council shall consist of the following members:-(a)the Vice-Chancellor who shall be the Chairman;(b)the three Pro-Vice-Chancellors;(c)the Controller of Examinations;(d)all Principals or Directors or Deans of all the Medical, Dental, Nursing Pharmacy, Homoeopathic, Ayurvedic, Unani teaching institutions in the State of West Bengal;(e)two distinguished teachers nominated by the Vice-Chancellor;(f)a nominee of the Government of West Bengal;(g)a representative from each (undergraduate and post-graduate) discipline not below the rank of Associate Professor, to be nominated by the Vice-Chancellor;(h)the Director of Medical Education, West Bengal; and(i)a nominee of the University Grants Commission.(2)The term of office of the members of the Academic Council shall be three years.(3)Subject to the provisions of this Act and the regulations made thereunder, the Academic Council shall, in addition to all other powers vested in it, have the following powers :-(a)to report on any matter referred or delegated to it by the General Council or the Executive Council;(b)to make recommendations to the Executive Council with regard to the creation, abolition or classification of teaching posts in the University and the emoluments and the duties attached thereto;(c)to formulate and modify or revise schemes for the organization of the Faculties, and to assign to such Faculties their respective subjects and also to report to the Executive Council as to the expediency of the abolition or sub-division of any Faculty or the combination of one Faculty with another;(d)to make arrangements by regulations for the instruction and examination of persons other than those enrolled in the University;(e)to promote research within the Universities and to require, from time to time, reports on such research;(f)to consider proposals submitted by the Faculties;(g)to appoint committees for admission to the University;(h)to recognize diplomas and degrees of other universities and institutions and to determine their equivalence in relation to the diplomas and degrees of the University;(i)to fix, subject to any conditions accepted by the General Council, the time, mode and conditions of competition for fellowships, scholarships and other prizes and to award the same;(j)to make recommendations to the Executive Council in regard to the appointment of examiners and, if necessary, their removal and the fixation of their fees, emoluments and travelling and other expenses;(k)to make arrangements for the conduct of examinations and to fix dates for holding them;(l)to declare the result of the various examinations, or to appoint committees or officers to do so, and to make recommendations regarding the conferment or grant of degrees, honours, diplomas, licences, titles and marks of honour;(m)to recommend establishment of University Departments, Institutions, Centres, Libraries, Laboratories for study and research and to award stipends, scholarships, bursarship, medals and prizes, the institutional fellowships, travelling fellowships and to make other awards in accordance with the regulations and on such conditions as may be attached to the awards;(n)to publish lists of prescribed or recommended text-books and to publish syllabi of the prescribed courses of study;(o)to prepare such forms and registers as may be, from time to time, prescribed by regulations;(p)to perform, in relation to academic matters, all such duties and to do all such acts as may be necessary for the proper carrying out of the provisions of this Act and the regulations made thereunder; and(q)to delegate any duty or responsibility to the Controller of Examinations as may deem fit for expeditious disposal of such matter related to clause (j), clause (k) and clause (1).(4)The procedure of meetings of the Academic Council shall be in the following manner:-(a)the Academic Council shall meet as often as may be necessary but at least once in every three months;(b)one-half of the total number of members of the Academic Council present shall form quorum for a meeting of the Academic Council;(c)in the case of difference of opinion among the members, the opinion of the majority shall prevail;(d)each member of the Academic Council shall have one vote and if there be an equality of votes on any question to be determined by the Academic Council, the Chairman of the Academic Council or the member presiding over the meeting shall, in addition, have a casting vote;(e)every meeting of the Academic Council shall be presided over by the Chairman of the Academic Council and, in his absence, by a member selected by the members present at the meeting;(f)if any urgent action by the Academic Council becomes necessary, the Chairman of the Academic Council may permit the business to be transacted by circulation of papers to the members of the Academic Council. The action proposed to be taken shall not be taken unless agreed to by a majority of members of the Academic Council. The action so taken shall forthwith be intimated to all the members of the Academic Council. The papers shall be placed at the next meeting of the Academic Council for confirmation.
