# Jadavpur University inquiry panel chief resigns, new head to be appointed 2026-08-24T07:54:23+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 3 independent outlets Jadavpur University professor Subha Shankar Sarkar has resigned as chairperson of the five-member panel investigating alleged campus vandalism. He said he could not conduct the inquiry effectively through virtual interactions while he was in Delhi. The university will appoint a new chairperson shortly, acting registrar Selim Box Mandal said. The inquiry followed a clash on August 20 between ABVP members and Left-leaning student groups, who accused each other of bringing outsiders to the campus. The New Indian Express and Hindustan Times report that an RSS-linked teachers’ organisation had opposed Sarkar’s appointment, citing his removal as West Bengal School Service Commission chairman after court proceedings over alleged recruitment irregularities. It sought a retired High Court or Supreme Court judge to lead the probe. The university formed the panel on August 21 after protests over the alleged vandalism. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The three reports use broadly neutral, attributed coverage, but The New Indian Express and Hindustan Times give more space to the RSS-linked organisation’s objections than Deccan Herald. That framing places the panel’s credibility and Sarkar’s past institutional role alongside his stated practical reason for resigning. The reports do not establish who caused the vandalism, and both camps’ allegations remain contested. A new chairperson could determine whether the inquiry proceeds through direct testimony and how independently the competing claims are assessed. The immediate point to watch is the university’s appointment of the replacement head. ## Coverage Coverage: 3 sources, 3 neutral - deccanherald.com (neutral report) Reports resignation and online inquiry concern without wider detail - newindianexpress.com (neutral report) Includes competing allegations and RSS-linked objections - hindustantimes.com (neutral report) Emphasises resignation, objections and competing campus claims This story was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above. Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources. Last updated 2026-08-24T09:01:43+00:00. Tags: ABVP, Calcutta High Court, Chiranjib Bhattacharjee, Jadavpur University, Subha Shankar Sarkar, West Bengal School Service Commission Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/jadavpur-university-panel-chief-quits-new-head-to-be-named/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/jadavpur-university-panel-chief-quits-new-head-to-be-named/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/