The state higher education department has asked colleges to share details of their admission rules as part of the preparatory steps aimed at introducing a centralised online admission system at the undergraduate level from the next academic year.
The move comes days after Bengal education secretary Manish Jain said a centralised online admission system would be introduced at the undergraduate level from the 2024-25 academic year.
The principals have been told to share details like seat matrix, fee structure, eligibility criteria, merit index rule and the tie-breaking rule with the higher education department.
Till last year, a candidate applying for an undergraduate course was required to log into the websites or portals of various colleges separately.
In the new system, an aspirant can apply to multiple colleges by logging into a single portal.
Officials said the government, by introducing the system, also wants to stop the interference of the student unions in the admission process.
An official in the education department said they want the seat matrix because it has been overhauled following the introduction of the four-year undergraduate programme from the 2023-24 academic year, in keeping with the UGC’s National Education Policy.
Earlier, the undergraduate programme was of three years.
The introduction of the four-year programme led to many changes.
Undergraduate courses now include major subjects, discipline-specific core courses, minor subjects, ability enhancement courses, skill enhancement courses and value-added courses.
“The details have been sought from the colleges so we could know what they are offering under the various subject bouquets. We have to structure the portal accordingly so the undergraduate aspirants could get an idea about what is on offer and lock their preferences,” the official said.
One of the reasons why the department could not launch the centralised admission system last year, despite a notification, is the introduction of the four-year undergraduate programme, which brought about a drastic change in the seat matrix.
Last year, the centralised system was based on the three-year undergraduate system.
“But after the state government accepted the four-year undergraduate programme in May last year, we had to push back the launch because we needed time to modify the portal,” an official said.
“This year we started the preparations well in advance”.
Eligibility criteria have been sought from the colleges because the institutions do not follow a uniform criterion.
“We want the portal to offer the candidates comprehensive data on eligibility,” the official said.
Joydeep Sarangi, principal of New Alipore College, said: “Earlier, an undergraduate aspirant looking for a course of his or her choice was required to enrol in multiple colleges and pay admission fees as many times. This won’t happen following the introduction of the centralised system.”
Purna Chandra Maity, president of the All Bengal Principals’ Council, said: “We hope the new mechanism will bring transparency and uniformity in the admission system.
Education department officials said Jadavpur University, Presidency University and the autonomous colleges will be kept out of the purview of the centralised online system. Those institutions conduct tests to screen students for admission at the undergraduate level.