Admission portal ‘by June 19’, Bratya Basu 'hopeful' of starting undergraduate admissions
Telegraph | 12 June 2025
Education minister Bratya Basu told the Assembly on Tuesday he was “hopeful” of starting undergraduate admissions in government and government-aided colleges and universities before June 19.
Even if the state-run centralised portal is launched before June 19, it would be over a month after the publication of the plus-II board results.
Meanwhile, most autonomous and private colleges have already closed their application windows.
By the time entry to state-run institutions start, St Xavier’s College on Park Street, St Xavier’s University in New Town and Scottish Church College would have published their first merit lists.
Two RKM colleges — Ramakrishna Mission Residential College (Autonomous), Narendrapur, and Swami Vivekananda Centenary College, Rahara — would have conducted their entrance tests.
Delay concerns
Heads and teachers of state institutions are concerned about missing out on bright students because of the delay in the admission process. The minister, however, does not see a delay.
Responding to a question from a BJP MLA in the Assembly, Basu said: “We have not delayed in any way. Last year, the undergraduate admission portal was launched on June 19. Today is June 10. We will start classes in keeping with the UGC’s academic calendar... We are hopeful of starting the portal before June 19.”
Basu’s statement came a day after Jadavpur University’s English department expressed “extreme concerns” about the possibility of losing bright students.
Basu’s announcement did not allay the concerns of most.
Siuli Sarkar, principal of Lady Brabourne College, told The Telegraph: “We had a delayed admission last year. This year is the same. In the four-year semesterised system, we are supposed to start classes at the earliest. But that will not happen. Last year, starting admissions over a month after the board results were out was one of the main reasons behind lakhs of vacant seats. But nothing has changed.”
Reservation hold-up
Finalising OBC reservation at state-aided universities has held up admissions this year.
In May 2024, Calcutta High Court struck down the existing OBC formula, and the state redrew it. But the new one is subject to approval from the Supreme Court, where the state government has challenged the high court order.
The state cabinet approved the new system last week.
Many wondered why the government did not fast-track the new composition.
Sharmila Mitra, principal of Behala College — which secured an A++ grade in the national college rating system — said it was not clear how private and autonomous colleges went ahead with their admissions without the OBC formula.
“We were getting a lot of queries from prospective students till last month. The queries have dried up now. This means they have taken admission elsewhere. We introduced programmes like BSc in defence studies. But I doubt we will have enough takers now. If a top-grade college like ours is made to suffer because of the delay, it does not augur well,” Mitra told The Telegraph.
On May 23, Basu had said the portal would be launched by the end of May.