The Bengal government on Thursday announced an online undergraduate admission process, which requires colleges to accept applications from August 10.

A notification issued to the affiliating universities on Thursday says students “should not be called for counselling or verification of documents during the process of admission”. No physical presence “will be required at the college/university”.

The government did not announce when classes would start.

The admission procedure was announced a day before the publication of the Bengal higher secondary examination results. The CBSE plus-II board and ISC (Class XII) results have been announced.

After the HS results are published, the colleges will go through details of how the students have performed across the boards and then anno-unce the eligibility criteria on their websites and come up with a format for online application.

The notification says the colleges and universities will start receiving applications online from August 10. The affiliating universities will decide on the last dates for accepting applications.

Students will apply according to the eligibility criteria and enter marks like the best-four score in the application format. Scanned marksheets will have to be attached to the format.

Based on the scores, each college will prepare the merit list and upload it on its website.

“The colleges will have to alert the prospective candidates through SMS or email that their names feature on the merit list. Details of the bank where the candidates seeking admission will make the payment have to be sent as well,” said a vice-chancellor.

The lists of eligible candidates will also have to be handed to the designated bank branches for verification during payment.

“Candidates must not visit a college physically to make the payment. Keeping the health hazard in mind, we have devised the system in a way that students will not have to come in contact with others during the admission process,” an official in the education department said.

Banks will receive admission fees on the basis of the merit list and a communication will be sent to the colleges. The colleges will then alert the selected students about the commencement of classes, which depends on when the Covid situation will come under control.

Documents will be verified when classes will start. “Admissions will be cancelled if the documents are found not in conformity with the declarations made in the online application,” said the official.

The notice says towards the end: “All the stakeholders shall adhere to COVID-19 norms/ protocol issued by the government, from time to time”.

Sources in the education department said that as the government was not in a position to say when classes will start, the teachers and the students have been told to look up for the norms issued from time to time to fight Covid-19.

Online admission in the colleges and making payment in the banks was introduced in 2017 to restrain students unions from influencing the admission procedure.

Now, when the pandemic is raging, the system has become a must because it prevents physical gathering.

Education minister Partha Chatterjee announced on Wednesday that students must not visit the campus during admission to Class XI. He advised guardians to visit the schools with testimonials for completing the admission procedure and follow the physical distancing guidelines.