KOLKATA: After the state government announced that no entrance test would be held for undergraduate and postgraduate admissions this year, several universities and colleges on Thursday lined up meetings with their senior colleagues and admission committees. They plan to work out the details on finalizing the format of application forms, checking the readiness of their online portals and formulating ways on how to process the application forms and publish merit lists on time so that first-semester classes can begin by October 1.
The no-test decision, conveyed to the VCs of state-run universities on Wednesday, has given the principals a tentative idea of when they can start inviting applications and the deadline they should set to start firstsemester classes though a formal government order is yet to reach them.
“We welcome the decision of the government and the education department to admit first-year candidates on the basis of their Class XII results, especially since a digital divide exists among students. The government has also decided to waive application fees, which is a commendable move,” said Siuli Sarkar, principal of Lady Brabourne College. “We have held meetings with our senior teachers, heads of departments and the admission committee. We have also decided not to charge any application fee. We are yet to receive a government order. We are ready to start the admission process as and when directed by the education department and the university,” said Sarkar. Lady Brabourne is affiliated to Calcutta University.
Pointing out admission guidelines would soon be released for its affiliated colleges, a Calcutta University official reiterated, “Admissions will be purely on the basis of the results of the board exams.”
Its affiliated institutes, such as Scottish Church, Goenka College of Commerce and Business Administration, Maulana Azad College, Seth Anandaram Jaipuria College and Ashutosh College held internal meetings. “We welcome the government’s decision and the admission will be conducted, abiding by the guidelines,” said Miraj D Shah, vicechairman of The Bhawanipur Education Society College.
At Jadavpur University, a meeting of the representatives of all faculties, has been called. “The process will be conducted in the direction of the government’s decision,” said Pradip Kumar Ghosh, pro-vice-chancellor of the university.
The West Bengal Joint Entrance Examinations Board has decided not to conduct admission tests for individual institutes in 2021 and beyond. It was supposed to hold the entrance tests for Presidency University in August. The university is yet to make an announcement on the next course of action. Presidency VC Anuradha Lohia said, “We will inform about the decision soon.”
