The power engineering department of Jadavpur University has opposed the proposal for a domicile quota, breaking ranks with eight departments that want reservation for students from Bengal in engineering courses.

Last week, at a meeting of its board of studies, the department decided not to support the domicile quota demand.

The university should not shut its doors on deserving candidates in the name of reservation as it would go against its national character, the department has said.

Eight of the 16 engineering departments want the quota and have made their position clear before the Faculty Council for Engineering and Technology.

The mechanical engineering, architecture, production, electrical, metallurgy, instrumentation engineering, information technology and civil engineering want 75 to 100 per cent of seats reserved for students from Bengal.

The council had met on February 26 and asked the other departments to make their decision known by March 5. The council will meet on March 6 to take a call on the matter.

“The power and printing engineering departments made their decision known on Friday,” Chiranjib Bhattacharjee, dean of the engineering faculty, said. “The printing engineering department wants a domicile quota. The power engineering department contends a quota would go against the JU’s national character.”

If such a policy comes into force, a certain percentage of seats has to be kept for “home students”, those clearing Plus II exams from Bengal irrespective of their boards.

“There has to be a uniformity in what the departments want,” a faculty council member said. “The power engineering department’s decision has created uncertainty.... This is not like seeking the National Board of Accreditation tag. The faculty council will meet and take a call.”

The power engineering department’s views conform to vice-chancellor Suranjan Das’s views on introducing a quota for students from Bengal, a university official said.

The faculty council had in December sought the opinion of all departments on a domicile quota.

VC Das had said an institute, which wants an “institute of eminence” tag from the UGC should not block out students of other states to ensure seats for students from Bengal.

The power engineering department has proposed increased fees for students from outside Bengal, though, a faculty council member said.

Jadavpur University is ranked seventh on an empowered expert committee shortlist of “public institutions”.

The UGC picked three from the list on last July and said the rest “shall be considered at a later stage”.

Institutes with the tag get Rs 1,000 crore in grants over five years.

If the faculty council decides in favour of a quota, the matter will be forwarded to the university’s executive council for the final decision.

The demand for a domicile quota gained ground following the revelation that Bengal had lost out on over 75 per cent of seats in civil engineering and a little over 42 per cent in chemical engineering to students from other states last year.