The state JEE board has cut down the lengthy counselling process so that engineering classes can start by September. The board has scrapped the practice of an engineering aspirant getting testimonials verified at a reporting centre before seeking admission to a college.

Last year, the centralised counselling had started on August 12 and continued till October 28. This year, the process will start on August 13 and be completed on September 11, a board official said.

The admissions can take place faster because the engineering aspirants can now get their documents verified at the college, chosen through centralised counselling.

The state JEE results were announced on Friday. A total of 65,170 candidates had written the test in-person on July 17 and 64,850 received rank cards.

During registration, the candidates have to upload documents such as Class X and XII mark sheets on the counselling portal developed by the board.

Earlier, the candidates had to go to reporting centres for verification of documents after locking their choice of institute, a board official said.

Last year, the board had virtual reporting centres so a candidate did not have to physically go to one because of the pandemic. “But this, too, would delay the admission process,” said a board official.

“This year, the institutes will themselves work as the reporting centres, enabling the institutes to start classes early,” said Malayendu Saha, chairman, JEE board.

An official of the higher education department said that because of the lengthy counselling process last year, BTech classes at Jadavpur University and Calcutta University could only start in January 2021.

“Since 487 of the 1,253 BTech seats at JU and 89 of the 237 at CU had remained vacant after the three-phased centralised counselling by the JEE board, both universities had to conduct counselling independently to fill the vacant seats. Classes could only start in January. This year, the board wants to complete the admission early so that these institutes — even if they hold counselling independently to fill vacant seats — can start classes in November,” said the official.

A JU teacher said candidates could quit the university after taking admission in NITs, which have better infrastructure, this year, too. “Wrapping up the three-phased centralised counselling early is a wiser proposition. This would enable JU to undertake decentralised counselling to manage the inevitable vacancies and start classes early,” he said.

JEE board chairman Saha said that after the counselling process would end on September 11, the institutes should take about a week to complete the admission.

“We are creating an opportunity so they can start the classes as early as possible. We want the students of Bengal to study in the engineering institutes of the state as much as possible,” said Saha.